Copy Tax on New PC's (Belgium)

[nocturn]

There is a proposed law in Belgium that will add a tax of 40 € to each new PC sold.

This tax comes in addition to an existing tax on blank media such as CDR's and DVDR's and is paid to the entertainment industry.

For all Belgians, there is an online petition against this at http://geenpctaks.be/

I believe the fundamental reasoning of taxes on things that can be used to copy is wrong for several reasons.

1) Where does it end? Electricity is also used in copying, an Inet connection often too. paper too, .... Most users sit at a desk when copying... Any of these items have other purposes besides copying.

2) If I pay to do something, I have a moral right to do it, meaning that the tax should make copying legal.
You cannot have it both ways (letting people pay for something they cannot do). I mean, this makes no more sense then taxing drivers a speeding tax each month, but still fine them if they are caught speeding. Or better, put a sales tax on cocaine.

3) What if I use the media/PC for *legal* purposes? Then someone else receives copyright money for stuff I own! That is called stealing.

4) It is already bad enough that I have to copy some CD's I *bought* legally because the original does not play in any of my players (The latest Album of Joss Stone comes to mind), but I already pay extra on the blank medium, so this 40 € is added to that... What about the consumers right to play media in any device they own?

[KiwiNZ]

Whilst I disagree with illegal file sharing this idea is so wrong.

1.It imposes a fine on the innocent.
2. Is it imposed on a PC sold with no dvd or cd burner?
3. If you have paid this tax ( a better term is compulsory royalty) then you should be able to copy legally as you have prepaid a royalty.
4. Its a state managed subsidy of a large industry ,funded by consumers.

So easily avoided , cross the border , buy a PC load some data and its your personnal in use property, or are they imposing this at the border ?

[Bubbling Zombie]

first of, good thing i recently bought a new pc ;)

is this proposed ? or is already there?

[Lynx]

I would be for it if it legalized copying. But that will never happen, so basically they tax people for anticipated illegal activity... somehow I just don't see how that works.

[darkoptix]

The tax on blank media is totally wrong. There are many uses for cd and dvds, rather than loading them up with illegal things. So, if I want to backup my personal school documents, I have to pay the entertainment industry? Doesn't seem right.

The tax on a new PC is even more wrong. Just because the entertainment industry is pissed off at people for taking their work. Head on over to www.lokitorrent.com to see how "pissed off" the entertainment industry really is. There is no where to hide? They are putting much effort to end something that cannot be ended. No matter how many different p2p routes there is, there can always be another.

It sounds like noone has a choice of paying them or not. I really think that nocturn is right. If they are taxing on stuff like this, copying should be legal and right, or else why tax on something that is wrong to do in the first place.

[ctt1wbw]

You can't tax a nation into prosperity. --Rush Limbaugh

[kassetra]

Unfortunately, that is how insurance companies work in the US.

For example:
Auto Insurance Companies assume you're going to speed, and raise their premiums according to an averaged amount over the speed limit - taken from speeding motorists in the past year.

Health Insurance companies look at a general trend of how healthy/not healthy your age/sex/race group is and charge you based upon that statistic.

In the case of the auto insurance, they're charging you for anticipated illegal activity, and in the case of health insurance, they're charging you for anticipated medical needs.

Auto insurance is especially nasty, because most states in the US require you to have it.


I would be for it if it legalized copying. But that will never happen, so basically they tax people for anticipated illegal activity... somehow I just don't see how that works.

[slackerj]

Hey Guys

Did some quick reasearch on the tax for new PC's and found out some interesting information:

Back around Feb 2003. A German firm by the name of Fujitsu Siemens Computers was in a dispute with VG Wort (a copyrights society). VG Wort wanted compensation for thier copyright holders 'loss of royalties' because of "private" copying of music, films, pictures etc.

The German patent office was the mediator in this case and has asked that Fujitsu Siemens Computers and other makers of computers to pay €12 for the reason stated above. (VG Wort had orginally wanted €30)

At the time, estimates put that it would cost consumers about €70 million a year; in order to pay for the "compensation fee".

It seems that Phillippe Monfils and Valérie Déom might have gotten thier idea from this. BUT what I do not get is why make this a tax and then give it to the RIAA/MPAA mafia style associations. I thought taxes go into the goverments coffers??

But what they COULD be doing by putting a tax on something that does happen (copyright violation) often. They might be able "justify" this tax better and in turn create a new revunue stream for the government.

Remember when they started to tax T.V's,radios, casseste tapes and alot of the anologue medium? With the exception to T.V's; alot of the above are now been made redundent with newer technologies comming through taking thier place. So the taxe revunues on the older tech will not be as high. And since now its alot easier to violate copyrights (internet, illegal use of P2P networks etc) they can charge a higher premium then before.

/tinfoil hat off

I could be all wrong though. I could not read this pdf:

http://www.dekamer.be/FLWB/pdf/51/1137/51K1137001.pdf

Which I think might be the proposed law draft.

Just think it might not be the RIAA/MPAA type goons pushing this one. Maybe the Belgium government has found a way to captilize on this particular situation???

[nocturn]

first of, good thing i recently bought a new pc ;)

is this proposed ? or is already there?

It is in proposed state.

[nocturn]

Whilst I disagree with illegal file sharing this idea is so wrong.

1.It imposes a fine on the innocent.
2. Is it imposed on a PC sold with no dvd or cd burner?
3. If you have paid this tax ( a better term is compulsory royalty) then you should be able to copy legally as you have prepaid a royalty.
4. Its a state managed subsidy of a large industry ,funded by consumers.

So easily avoided , cross the border , buy a PC load some data and its your personnal in use property, or are they imposing this at the border ?

The tax will be imposed on any PC, regardless of having a DVD/CD burner or not.
In addition, there is already such a tax on any blank media.

[nocturn]

Just think it might not be the RIAA/MPAA type goons pushing this one. Maybe the Belgium government has found a way to captilize on this particular situation???

This is in fact the entire text, yes.

I don't know who pushes this law. I know the tax on blank media was pushed by the Belgian equivalent of the RIAA and they benefit from it.

[KiwiNZ]

This is a disturbing trend. I hope our Politicians dont get the idea

[slackerj]

This is a disturbing trend. I hope our Politicians dont get the idea
Amen to that buddy.

However I don't think Paul Swain is that much of an onto it bloke. So hopefully no worries for the mean time :)