Aiming to compensate copyright owners for the lost royalties
from private copying of music, movies and images, most EU Member
States impose levies on the price of copying equipment, such as
scanners or cassettes. The UK is a notable exception.
The European Information and Communications Trade Association
(EICTA), whose members include Microsoft, Fujitsu, Alcatel, Nokia
and Siemens, believes that this is not the best method of
protecting copyright.
In a letter sent to the European Commission, the group
recommends that technological measures would be a better
solution.
According to the EICTA's web site, "the extension of copyright
levies to digital devices and media is harmful to European
consumers, creators and industry. Levies increase the price of
products such as personal computers, consumer electronics devices
and storage media which permit Europeans to be full participants in
a dynamic information society."
The group also points out that more expensive equipment would
mean fewer consumers with access to the information society. This,
the EICTA claims, would result in "an ever-widening knowledge gap
between Europe and her trading partners."
The EICTA also argues that levies to compensate copyright owners
are unfair because private copying is, according to the group, not
piracy.
Finally, it recommends that: "technical protection measures and
digital rights management systems provide superior means to
compensate artists for use of their work when copying is actually
done and requires compensation."
More information on the issue is available from:
www.eicta.org
