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Topic: "Canada Approves MP3 Tax" (Read 4267 times) previous topic - next topic
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"Canada Approves MP3 Tax"

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"Canada Approves MP3 Tax"

Reply #1 –
Arg!!  That makes me angry!!                         
gentoo ~amd64 + layman | ncmpcpp/mpd | wavpack + vorbis + lame

"Canada Approves MP3 Tax"

Reply #2 –
OK, cool. So now that I'm paying extra for a device that may or may not be holding copyrighted material in the near future, I'd better download some big-label music so that this 'tax' was not a total waste of my investment. Yay!
The sky is blue.

"Canada Approves MP3 Tax"

Reply #3 –
Living in Canada I realize things here are taxed extremely high compared to most other countries so I can't say this comes as a suprise.
It actually does not anger me so much since I read someone's argument about this awhile ago when they were taxing blank CDs. The argument basically goes that if you are being taxed on something then you basically have the right to that product or service, since it is taxed it is condoned by the government. Things like cigarettes are taxed because they are condoned (although all I ever see out of the government is that you shouldn't smoke) but stuff like prostitution is not since it is not condoned.
Hence since tapes, CDs, & MP3 players are taxed with the underlying principal that you will be using them to download, store, and play copyrighted material you are not only codoning that but legitimizing it. I believe that if the government applies a tax to recuperate "lost royalties" then in their eyes I am already guilty of the crime and thus I don't see why I shouldn't commit the crime if I already have been found guilty & fined (or taxed whichever you prefer).
Pretty sure the RIAA would't see it like that but they are probably too busy issuing lawsuits to 12 year olds!
The point that bothers me is those stupid statements like "to help compensate Canadian musicians for their work" - Bullsh*t - I'd like to hear from 1 Canadian musician who see's 1 cent of that money, if your going to apply a very questionable tax don't lie to me about where that money is going.
I think eventually this will not work since the legislation will be impossible to apply - will they tax cell phones that can play mp3s? But the government is bound to do something about it - just like the RIAA and similarly find itself shooting its own foot since it is the first thing they see after pulling their head out of the sand.

"Canada Approves MP3 Tax"

Reply #4 –
Quote
Canada Approves MP3 Tax


Sounds right to me.

"Canada Approves MP3 Tax"

Reply #5 –
Quote
Living in Canada I realize things here are taxed extremely high compared to most other countries so I can't say this comes as a suprise.

No, they aren't. Taxes in Canada are high compared to the US, but average or even low compared to most of Europe. And even compared to the US, we tax our poor about the same, but our rich moreso (as it should be, but this isn't a thread about the benefits of socialism now is it?)

This tax is patently rediculous though because, as a paying music user, in order to listen to music on my portable I have to:

a) purchase a CD (profit for the RIAA)
b) crack the copy protection on the CD (illegal in most places according to the DMCA and its European counterpart)
c) copy my MP3s to CD (profit for the RIAA now, and yet still illegal) or copy to an MP3 player (again, profit for the RIAA yet still technically against their legal terms of use).

And I am one of their BEST customers! Who treats their best customers this way??

"Canada Approves MP3 Tax"

Reply #6 –
ok Perhaps I shouldn't have used 'extremely high', high should suffice
Quote
No, they aren't

perhaps some proof would help - Canada has 2 after sale taxes, equivalent to state tax (US), or VAT (EU), namely GST (General Sales Tax) & PST (Provincial Sales Tax). The GST has been fixed at 7.5% for some time and depending on which province you live, it usually varies between 6-9%. So it is not uncommon to have an after sales tax of 15-16%.
I'm curious what other countries rates are?

Edit: These do not include 'hidden' taxes on certain items - such as the one they wish to levy on blank media & mp3's players.

"Canada Approves MP3 Tax"

Reply #7 –
 Here in Indiana, we just moved from 5% tax to 6% tax last December (1 year ago).  And food is tax-free.

"Canada Approves MP3 Tax"

Reply #8 –
Quote
ok Perhaps I shouldn't have used 'extremely high', high should suffice
Quote
No, they aren't

perhaps some proof would help - Canada has 2 after sale taxes, equivalent to state tax (US), or VAT (EU), namely GST (General Sales Tax) & PST (Provincial Sales Tax). The GST has been fixed at 7.5% for some time and depending on which province you live, it usually varies between 6-9%. So it is not uncommon to have an after sales tax of 15-16%.
I'm curious what other countries rates are?

Edit: These do not include 'hidden' taxes on certain items - such as the one they wish to levy on blank media & mp3's players.

GST is 7%, not 7.5%. And here in Alberta that is the only sales tax we pay. Granted, all the other provinces have PST (provincial sales tax) as well, so the total rate for say, Ontario is 15%, BC is 14.5% and Manitoba is 14%.

Sales tax is such a minor thing though compared to property and income taxes... hardly an indicator of total tax burden.

"Canada Approves MP3 Tax"

Reply #9 –
I stand corrected GST is at 7%
And I agree that property & income tax are high, but I thought we should limit this to more the topic of tax on mp3 players (hidden taxes and after sales tax) and such things and not expand it too much.

funny that even though you guys have no PST I notice that certain prices for things ( like computer parts) seem more expensive.

"Canada Approves MP3 Tax"

Reply #10 –
Quote
Here in Indiana, we just moved from 5% tax to 6% tax last December (1 year ago). And food is tax-free


Sales tax varies by county here in California. My home county is 7.75% and I commute to a 7.25% county. Some counties are as low as 6.25% I believe.
Food is also tax free provided it is not preprepared take-out, as take-out (only if it's cooked and ready to eat) also has a tax on it.

Property tax in California is a joke, the housing market is so inflated that your house could appreciate in value by a double digit percentage in less than five years, and then drop as much in the next year.
Therefore, property tax is assessed at the original date of purchase, be it in 1960 or 1990. This makes very little sense unless you are retired and bought your house many years ago.
I personally feel we should base property taxes here on ability to pay as well as purchase date, but I'd be crucified for saying so at a city council meeting or any such local governmental gathering.

"Canada Approves MP3 Tax"

Reply #11 –
Quote
namely GST (General Sales Tax)

Goods & Services Tax

"Canada Approves MP3 Tax"

Reply #12 –
Quote
QUOTE (TwoJ @ Dec 13 2003, 11:18 PM)
namely GST (General Sales Tax) 


Goods & Services Tax


>_<  I swear I pay it everyday! incept on Maple Syrup since it is considered food  , but then so is that squeezable cheese 

"Canada Approves MP3 Tax"

Reply #13 –
In Denmark income tax is about 50%
VAT is 25%

Added to that they put a special tax in cdr medias some time ago and made it legal to copy things from the library etc. Now they made that illegal again but the tax is still on cdr medias.

"Canada Approves MP3 Tax"

Reply #14 –
I notice that even though Canadians always complain that the US dominates their entertainment media (so presumably most of the ripping and burning), all the mp3 & CDR taxes are going only to Canadian producers.

"Canada Approves MP3 Tax"

Reply #16 –
Quote
P2P downloading is legal now.

VERY strange, almost the opposite of what you'd think.

Uploads are illegal but downloads aren't!
This seems totally counterintuitive, but I suppose the logic is that since the downloader is "requesting" the file, the uploader must "allow" it, even if in reality the P2P programs make this not the case.

  It would make slightly more sense if the Canadian media player tax was going to both the RIAA and the RIAC (or whatever its called) rather than just the latter.

  Here's the ZDNet article on the same subject.
Good to see Canada still has no DMCA-style legislation.
edited - removed a word