iPod tax coming to Europe
The Netherlands’ government are planning to levy a tax on iPods and other mp3 devices. The bigger the hard drive on the device, the bigger the tax – if the legislation is enacted, the tax will be as much as €3.28 ($4.30) per gigabyte. The 60GB iPod Photo would rise in price from €469.00 to €665.00 – adding close to €200 to the price of the player. Lobby groups obviously see this as a victory and will expand their lobbying efforts around Europe.
I think this just shows how the government is, in the end, just another mafia.
That tax, like the “cassette tax” in Finland, is not justifiable in any legal terms. They tax supposedly because some people copy, that is, commit a crime. Thus, all users are taxed for some people’s crimes. It makes sense only if you assume that the recording industry-government complex is a mafia, extorting protection money.
Comment by sepisp — Thu, May 5th, 2005 @ 5:09 pm
Copying original music from CDs to MP3 players or iPods is not even a crime even Finland. It’s not even a crime to copy music from Internet to a portable player, assuming that the song is an original one. If it’s a MP3 rip of a CD song, it’s not probably legal, because no record company is offering their music in MP3 format.
Anyway, I agtee these taxes are getting out of hand, and are getting Europe in almost as bad situation as what the DMCA has casued in the U.S. It’s a shame we have to take some much example from the U.S. here in Europe.
Comment by Tero Lehto — Thu, May 5th, 2005 @ 9:23 pm
It would be great if these taxes would keep the the entertainment industry happy. But they obviously don’t.
Is there already a “hyvitysmaksu” for mp3 players in Finland? http://www.hyvitysmaksu.fi
I guess there is. At least for the memory cards, because they tax even digital camera’s memory cards.
I have payed to the music industry for taking pictures with my camera!
Comment by Eino-Kalevi — Sat, May 7th, 2005 @ 8:26 pm
At least Verkkokauppa.com sells “hyvitysmaksu”-free iPod’s, empty CD-R’s and such by direct mail order from their warehouse in Tallinn, Estonia: http://www.verkkokauppa.com/?page=http://www.verkkokauppa.com/main.php?path=suoratoimitukset (in Finnish).
Comment by keBa — Sun, May 8th, 2005 @ 5:59 pm
wordpress…
gotta love it!
Comment by CHRISTY — Sun, Jan 22nd, 2006 @ 5:56 pm
Hi All… Did something change around here?… It doesn’t look the same.
Comment by ALICE — Sun, Jan 22nd, 2006 @ 7:06 pm
Hi i am totally blown away with the blogs people have created its so much fun to read alot of good info and you have also one of the best blogs !!
Comment by free ipod music — Thu, Jan 26th, 2006 @ 4:42 pm
Ve7vdE 3v3445vtt075nvn0g8d0nb
Comment by John — Thu, Nov 22nd, 2007 @ 6:16 pm
Best Watch Replica! high quality replica watch high quality replica watches jacob co replica watch panerai replica watches
Comment by John — Wed, Dec 12th, 2007 @ 10:40 am
best work cheap ringtones christmas ring tones christmas tones
Comment by cheap ringtones — Thu, Dec 13th, 2007 @ 10:58 pm
pW04T8 great site thx http://peace.com
Comment by bob — Mon, Jan 21st, 2008 @ 2:05 pm
cB4s1R great site thx http://peace.com
Comment by bob — Mon, Jan 28th, 2008 @ 5:18 pm
At comment 2 your lucky is not allowed here in the Uk however most of us still do it
Comment by Compare Suppliers — Sun, Aug 9th, 2009 @ 11:28 pm
Hi everyone! I just love your site! I found another great site for reviewing ipod products and accessories. Please have a look at http://www.ipod.webege.com/ipod/index.html
Comment by joe kochinski — Thu, Jan 7th, 2010 @ 5:57 am