Content owners: Dutch 5 EURO copyright fee on PCs isn’t high enough

26 Oct 12 18:40 by DoMiN8ToR in category Piracy

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Yesterday we reported about a decision of the Dutch government that has resulted in a copyright fee which Dutch consumers will have to pay when they purchase computers, smartphones, set top boxes, audio and video equipment and HDDs which can be as high as €5,- ($6.5) for a new PC. Today the content owners, represented by the organisations Buma/Stemra and Stichting Thuiskopie (translates to foundation of home copy), responded to the new legislation. According to them the maximum of € 5,- isn’t high enough.

That’s because the total income of the fee is estimated at € 27 million which is equal to the amount that was also earned by the content owners with previous legislation, introduced in 2005. Back then the copyright fee was required to be paid on purchases of blank media and MP3 players and according to the content owners, consumers copy much more now than in 2005. The € 27 million is still much more than the € 12.1 million of losses due to home copying which were estimated by accountancy firm PriceWaterHouseCoopers.

9 Comments on Content owners: Dutch 5 EURO copyright fee on PCs isn’t high enough

ChristineBCW: Posts: 1351; Posted on: 26 Oct 12 19:25

Thank you, Dear Abby.

Signed,

Get An Inch, Want A Mile.

Zzyzxroad: Posts: 270; Posted on: 27 Oct 12 13:46

Will this fee just be added to the price of the unit, or will it actually be enumerated on a bill/receipt?

How will the people really know how much they have paid?

ChristineBCW: Posts: 1351; Posted on: 27 Oct 12 15:53

ZZ, we can both guess the likeliest outcome. "How can we get more money out of consumer pockets and into ours' and our friends' pockets?" Transparent, open accounting with accurate detailed line-item receipts will not accomplish that.

I'll be surprised if they don't next announce a Percentage-Based Fee for this, with a minimum level charge.

While I was making a cynic joke with my earlier calculations, I'm not sure how wrong those figures will be - at least for the amount that goes directly to artists and performers. "Just about Zero."

Zzyzxroad: Posts: 270; Posted on: 27 Oct 12 19:28

True. I guess bottom line is, it really shouldn't matter who gets what, as long as they have paid their tarrif.

For an honest person, it sucks.

For a pirate, it pretty much tells them that they can download all they want since they paid for it. Grey area, but I'm sure it would be tough to convict under these circumstances.

TSJnachos117: Posts: 357; Posted on: 28 Oct 12 01:52

So, you mean giving your customers the finger caused them to pirate more? I totally didn't see that coming!

Seriously, I feel like a broken record. If someone were to go to there grocery store, and the clerk automatically accused the individual of theft without proof, that person would never shop at said store, again. Now, imagine if every store did that. I pretty much described the music/movie industry. Yet, the're rich, so they can bribe the're way out of trouble (in addition to bribing other parties, such as ISP's and congress, to help them give us the finger).