Appeared in the Toronto Star on April 17, 2011 as There’s No Liberal iPod Tax, But Here’s the Tory One The current election campaign has raised many tax related issues, yet the strangest must surely be the battle over the so-called iPod tax. Last week, the Conservatives launched a major […]
Post Tagged with: "private copying levy"
iPod Tax Fight Conceals Another Consumer Copyright Fee Hike
Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore has gone on record confirming that Bill C-32 would allow for ratification of the WIPO Internet treaties, telling the Bill C-32 Legislative Committee that “what is in this legislation – the ratification of WIPO, the fair-dealing policy, the digital protection measures – is a huge victory for all Canadians.â€
Yet what Moore did not say is that ratification of the WIPO Internet treaties requires Canada to provide “national treatment” to all artists (in other words, treat Canadian and foreign performers equally). Since the current private copying levy system does not provide national treatment, this would likely lead to a substantial increase in payments from Canadian consumers to foreign performers and makers and minimal increase in payments from foreign consumers to Canadian makers and performers.
The CCA’s $126 Million Wheel of Fortune: Guessing at Bill C-32’s Costs
CRIA Wrote To PCH Committee To Support iPod Levy Weeks Before Telling Gov’t Officials It Opposed It
Yesterday I blogged about how the Canadian Recording Industry Association has broken with creator groups and the Canadian Independent Music Association on the issue of an iPod levy. While the creator groups continue to express their support for the levy, CRIA’s Graham Henderson told government officials on September 27, 2010 […]
Sorting Through The Spin: The Liberals and the iTax
First, it is clear that the radio ad is factually wrong. The Liberals now unequivocally state that they oppose an iPod levy. The radio ad says of the Liberals, NDP, and Bloc “now they all back an iPod tax.” There isn’t much room for interpretation here – the Liberals have stated their current policy and the Conservative ad says the opposite.
Second, even if the ad is wrong, some claim that the Liberals have flip-flopped on the issue. For example, Stephen Taylor makes that case, pointing to their support for a motion on the private copying levy from earlier this year. He adds that the press release says one thing, the vote another.
This position requires a more careful examination of the motion and the vote itself. This saga begins with a motion in March at the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage stating:


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