[LINK] France to tax I.T. devices to raise copyright levy

[ggm@dstc.edu.au]

The idea is great. the amount of levy is stupidly high. Oh well, half a fix

-George


 http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/reuters/REU20010115S0007

PARIS -- France is planning to slap levies on the sale of computers
and digital recording devices to ensure musicians and film-makers are
compensated for pirate copying, its Culture Minister said in an interview
published on Monday.

Among the products that look certain to be targeted are computers, hard
disks, electronic game machines, DVD players, new-generation mobile
phones, and CD burners that copy data onto blank compact discs.

Manufacturers, already up in arms about the introduction later this month
of levies on recordable compact discs and DVDs, immediately denounced
the leftist government's latest proposals.