Germany Prepares Copyright Tax

from the ouch dept

Germany is getting ready to enforce a law that passed three years ago mandating that every computer impose a "copyright levy" of $13 + a 16% tax, with the money going to copyright holders to reimburse them for the copyright violations that computer users may have performed. Interesting logic behind this law, which is basically just makes the case that everyone must be guilty of copyright infringement (you can't even plead innocence) and therefore needs to pay up. Doesn't seem to fit in places where you're supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. I don't see how it's fair to assume that any computer must be used to violate intellectual property when the vast majority of uses for a computer have nothing to do with other's intellectual property.

2 Comments | Leave a Comment..