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Germans hit HP with anti-piracy fine
Posted on 25/11/00 03:04 by Robin van Lieshout
Hewlett-Packard has been fined by the German courts for shipping hardware capable of creating pirate music CDs. The company will have to cough up DM3.60 ($1.60) for each computer it has sold since February 1998. HP won't say how many machines that is, but it could easily run into the hundreds of thousands. ... German law imposes a levy on all equipment capable of recording music at home. Tape deck manufacturers, cassette makers, etc. all pay up and have been doing so for years. The levy is paid to copyright control agencies who share it among artists. It's design to compensate musicians - albeit in a small way - from the effects of piracy. Only now has it occurred to anyone that CD-R and CD-R/W drives in PCs can also record music, and so HP has been singled out for treatment. HP will have to pay DM12 ($5.40) for every machine it ships with a device that can store music - in other words, all of them. |
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So if i buy a gun i allso have to pay for the funeral of who im gonna kill ?
does this mean CDR & CDRW prices are gonna rise again?
also all HIFI devices can record (at least on tape) which means they're capable of copying..
Anyway. Better HP pays than the customers...
also all HIFI devices can record (at least on tape) which means they're capable of copying..
Anyway. Better HP pays than the customers...
The problem is that HP will most probably increase the prices of their hardware in germany to counteract the effects of the ruling.
Next time I get a speeding ticket, I'm gonna let BMW pay for it 
What a bunch of crap this is!
What a bunch of crap this is!
i never did like HP anyway, overpriced nonsense. anyway the price increase thing is nominal, paying £1-3 more on your machine will hardly break the bank.
basvcds should probably be locked up as he seems mentally unstable. guns shouldn't be available to the general public anyhow. just sigh with relief that they aren't in the UK.
basvcds should probably be locked up as he seems mentally unstable. guns shouldn't be available to the general public anyhow. just sigh with relief that they aren't in the UK.
Than what about Paradigit, Compaq, Packard Bell etc.?
They also have hardware capable for that. This is bullshit, are they also gonna forbid modems because you can also download Warez with it? It's practically the same!
They also have hardware capable for that. This is bullshit, are they also gonna forbid modems because you can also download Warez with it? It's practically the same!
Quote:
Anyway. Better HP pays than the customers...
And you really believe that it isn't the customer who ends up paying for it all? Think again...
People now are more inclined to copy CD's, since they now pay a fee for it... You pay a fee on hardware that can copy, you pay a fee on CD-R's because you copy... It more and more gives me the feeling that it is legal to copy CD's, since we are now paying the authorities for it...
Wonder how this will hold up in court
Anyway. Better HP pays than the customers...
And you really believe that it isn't the customer who ends up paying for it all? Think again...
People now are more inclined to copy CD's, since they now pay a fee for it... You pay a fee on hardware that can copy, you pay a fee on CD-R's because you copy... It more and more gives me the feeling that it is legal to copy CD's, since we are now paying the authorities for it...
Wonder how this will hold up in court
@1
What do you mean 'guns are not in the U.K.'
I am in the U.K. and i see guns everywhere.
(about the same price as a plextor!)
Its the only thing that can keep the BSA from ya door.
What do you mean 'guns are not in the U.K.'
I am in the U.K. and i see guns everywhere.
(about the same price as a plextor!)
Its the only thing that can keep the BSA from ya door.
Nice move from the authorities
This means that by paying the " contribution fee" everybody who owns a HP can copy all software and audio stuff legally!!
Let me pay for my Plextor too!!!!
This means that by paying the " contribution fee" everybody who owns a HP can copy all software and audio stuff legally!!
Let me pay for my Plextor too!!!!
Germany should also sue pharmaceutical companies for producing potentially lethal products if they see the cdr situation in that way.
Here in Spain we are imposed a levy too. It doesn't affect to CD Writers only, it's applied to multifunction products too such as HP OfficeJet (Scanner and Printer integrated in one product). They suppose that you are going to reproduce copyrighted material at any time of your life, but this doesn't make it legal!! 
The owners of music locals are forced to pay a levy too because they are going to put ilegal music too... What's next? Are we going to pay for the air we breathe? ;-)
The owners of music locals are forced to pay a levy too because they are going to put ilegal music too... What's next? Are we going to pay for the air we breathe? ;-)
This is CRAP! But what can you expect from Germany and their "We are always right" attitude....
I think it was to be suspected, cause the RIAA is suing everyone nowadays. I think HP is very willing to pay just a little amount of money to avoid huge lawsuits in the future.
It might look like the RIAA is winning, but think in longer terms. They can never sui HP ever again for this.
Smart move...
It might look like the RIAA is winning, but think in longer terms. They can never sui HP ever again for this.
Smart move...
This sheer stupidity is not the fault of Germany ! its the fault of a bunch of Government Retards that are runnig out of annual budjet desparatley and need cash fast to drive their Mercedes in the Autobahnn. This pirating device issue is bullshit and they know it too. So what is next suing Nero and WinCD for producing a software that can be used in a device that is able to back up namingly music as one. Better yet how about suing the Harddrive manufacteres, tape drive producers, memory manufactures (MP3 Players) for producing a device that could potentially store music. So literally every computer in every establishment in the country INCLUDING the one that THE VICE CHANCELLOR is using would have to pay a levy. Ya right!!!
What amases me is why would germans let these morans get the better of them.
Does people voice count in Germany or are we still in Berlin with out walls !!!
What amases me is why would germans let these morans get the better of them.
Does people voice count in Germany or are we still in Berlin with out walls !!!
Are we really making a big deal about $5.40 that HP will pay for EACH computer sold?
Fuck it, Ill give them twice that amount to get a machine that will copy everything!!
And do you really think HP gives to shits about $5.40 when they sell systems over $800? Its pennies to what there making..
Fuck it, Ill give them twice that amount to get a machine that will copy everything!!
And do you really think HP gives to shits about $5.40 when they sell systems over $800? Its pennies to what there making..
What a fuckin stupid idea. y should the customer pay if they might never copy anything illegally? Ive never illegally copied anything in my life! the people i sold my CD's 2 assured me they all had the original product and only wanted a backup!
yo trojan, if you sold copies to people who already have the original you are still illegaly making money !!!! the story that IF you sell copies as backups isn't true !!! I know that because i'm studying law ;-) AND copieng cd's to finance my study hehe....LOL
oh yeah i kno,
when i sell a cd i always say(or say i say),
'this is for your personal backup only, you must have the original. i am simply providing a backup service. not my resp. if u break the law'
to dark shadow: i dont kno where u hang out, i use guns with my ccf unit, farmers are allowed shot guns but hand guns are banned. all guns require a liscence. at my ccf place the army are on 4 minute alert to the gun store in case of a break in!
r u sure you're from the uk!
when i sell a cd i always say(or say i say),
'this is for your personal backup only, you must have the original. i am simply providing a backup service. not my resp. if u break the law'
to dark shadow: i dont kno where u hang out, i use guns with my ccf unit, farmers are allowed shot guns but hand guns are banned. all guns require a liscence. at my ccf place the army are on 4 minute alert to the gun store in case of a break in!
r u sure you're from the uk!
ikke-cds - cheers 4 the info - ill b honest ive never said that neways :-D hehe l8rz
first of all: fuck you evangelos.
I live in germany and i also think this descision is crap. but it's not "germanys" fault (not the fault of the people living here); we have a very left-winged government in the moment, and it seems like they don't like computers at all. they even discuss taxes on internet-trade... hard times for us surfers in germany
I live in germany and i also think this descision is crap. but it's not "germanys" fault (not the fault of the people living here); we have a very left-winged government in the moment, and it seems like they don't like computers at all. they even discuss taxes on internet-trade... hard times for us surfers in germany
I saw taxes and had to respond
Taxing internet trade would be fair and has been an issue for a long time. Not so much THAT it should be taxed, but HOW it should be taxed.
Rising prices is never pleasant, especially when the perception arises that the money goes to the government (as taxes or otherwise). But not taxing internet trade would be an unfair competition towards the conventional businesses. But people tend to forget what the money is used for.
(s)He who is without any benefits from any government (Social security, scholarships or things like infrastructure, police protection and many other things) cast the first stone
As for selling backed up cd's to people who have the original. Don't see why this would be illegal. If someone has an original cd from which they want a backup, but do not have the equipment to make one (wonder how many of these people there are ), why would me asking for a small fee for my time and costs (depreciation of the 'equipment', cost of a CD and a label to identify the CD) be illegal?
But I can understand that just saying "Be sure to have the original" is not enough to discharge yourself from any legal actions that may be imposed on you. If you receive the original from the person who wants you to make a backup, you then can most likely asume that you are not doing anything illegal and are making a rightful backup.
Always in for a good discussion
Taxing internet trade would be fair and has been an issue for a long time. Not so much THAT it should be taxed, but HOW it should be taxed.
Rising prices is never pleasant, especially when the perception arises that the money goes to the government (as taxes or otherwise). But not taxing internet trade would be an unfair competition towards the conventional businesses. But people tend to forget what the money is used for.
(s)He who is without any benefits from any government (Social security, scholarships or things like infrastructure, police protection and many other things) cast the first stone
As for selling backed up cd's to people who have the original. Don't see why this would be illegal. If someone has an original cd from which they want a backup, but do not have the equipment to make one (wonder how many of these people there are
), why would me asking for a small fee for my time and costs (depreciation of the 'equipment', cost of a CD and a label to identify the CD) be illegal?
But I can understand that just saying "Be sure to have the original" is not enough to discharge yourself from any legal actions that may be imposed on you. If you receive the original from the person who wants you to make a backup, you then can most likely asume that you are not doing anything illegal and are making a rightful backup.
Always in for a good discussion
Actually i think this is a good idea in a way but they then shouldn't fine people who use it for this! because you would have already paid a tax with the computer/device etc. so paid your fine in advance!
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