The fish Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Music industry to tax downloaders Internet users could face an annual charge of up to £30 to download music, under plans to be unveiled today that aim to tackle illegal file-sharing. Ministers are backing proposals that would enable millions of broadband users to pay an annual levy which would allow them to copy as much – previously illegal – music from the internet as they wanted. The money raised would be channelled back to the rights-holders, with artists responsible for the most popular songs receiving a bigger slice of the cash. John Hutton, the Business Secretary, and Andy Burnham, the Culture Secretary, will unveil a package of proposals, beginning with thousands of prolific downloaders receiving letters warning them they are breaking the law by copying music and sending it to friends. The Government sees that move as the last chance for internet service providers (ISPs) to get a grip on the growing problem of piracy. In the longer term, Mr Burnham is supporting calls from sections of the music industry for a yearly levy of £20 to £30 to be imposed by ISPs on customers who want to share music. They believe it would prevent criminalising large sections of the public, while helping to compensate the music industry for lost sales. If successful it could be extended to cover films and television programmes. Source I think this is an awesome plan, to be honest. I'd pay it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoadKill Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 They can suck my dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emasher Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 They tried to do this in Canada, only it was only 5$, and it didn't pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slaggis Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Anyone moaning really should stay quiet. It'a a great idea, and is much better than suddenly being fined masses for downloading illegally. Also, if you download as much as some people do (*looks at himself*) then you're getting an extremly good deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tellyn Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 I just saw this on the news, it's an excellent way to combat both piracy and overpriced albums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olympic Gamer Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 O lawds, encrypted torrents any one? Fuck the music industry. This is a rebellion about how much we payed for music in the nineties. Charged £3 for a fucking single, but albums still vary, some being decently priced. It wont pass at all, no way. Much like how the piracy plan earlier this year was slammed by the EU. Instead of finding new ways to make money, the government should ignore the music industries cries and just do something about the increasing violence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supergrunch Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 This would be a great idea, providing they managed to stop illegal downloading... which is pretty impossible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEVILMURRAY Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 If it's possible to save Galbadia Hotel. It might be worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowV7 Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Good plan, and it is certainly fair. But, I want to see them try this first and see if it actually works, which I don't think they will. Seems they're trying to make a good deal of music downloaders, like they're desperate to try and form some sort of deal Though speaking of this, I think my aunt last week or the week before got a phone call or letter from her ISP saying she had downloaded an illegal song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheikah Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 If it's possible to save Galbadia Hotel. It might be worth it. No one can save that. Laguna had a leg cramp and fell onto the structural pillar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoadKill Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 I don't see any of this is fair in the slightest - all it will do is pipe money back into the hands of the greedy and rich music execs that speak for labels that release shitty pop music. If you want your money to go to the artists you like, buy their fucking CD, don't support some government backed plan to take the money from the masses and give it to the only body powerful enough to get such a stupid fucking law put in place Also, how do they determine who downloads illegal music? If you have to sign up to pay for it, surely that's just admission of criminal intent; if it's mandatory if you own a net connection, then it means everyone must suffer. this can achieve no good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEVILMURRAY Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 No one can save that. Laguna had a leg cramp and fell onto the structural pillar. Eh? . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shino Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 I would pay that, if they could prove I had downloaded illegal music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calza Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 what the hell... i'm sure Steve Jobs will be happy to hear this. Honestly sounds like the worst idea ever, the only way the goverment could operate this sort of stuff would be complete tracking of what you do and where you go online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The fish Posted July 24, 2008 Author Share Posted July 24, 2008 I reckon it would curb the problem - most people who download music illegally do so as it's convenient and cheap. If it could also be made legal (and not require frickin' iTunes, not to mention be cheaper than it), then most people would snap it up. Criminalising the masses is only a good idea if you really, really want to get voted out of power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paj! Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Also, if you download as much as some people do (*looks at himself*) then you're getting an extremly good deal. Same here. I don't exclusively DL, I buy a lot of music (probably more than what I DL), but it's still a lot of money I've not spent for quality music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayseven Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 ... so basically it's up to our ISP's to charge us? So they'll block numerous ports until we pay to unlock them, then? Or am I just wildly flailing with my imagination. because if it's the way i'm envisioning, then the ISPs will charge everyone thsi rate regardless as to whetehr they download or not. No? Didn't check source, so am probably wildly throwing accusations around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twozzok Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 The way the BBC article makes it seem is that you opt-in to pay the £30 a year fee, and then you can't be fined for breaking copyright laws. If so that's awesome, even if it's just to stop my dad telling me how much of a criminal I am :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheikah Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 The way the BBC article makes it seem is that you opt-in to pay the £30 a year fee, and then you can't be fined for breaking copyright laws. That would be very odd...surely HMV and the like would go out of business. "10-15 quid per album from HMV or £30 for every song you ever wanted". Hmm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M-PG71C Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 What a shitty law, what if you don't download music illegally? Are they going to tax you anyway because they feel like it? I pay for my music legitmately and I am not going to cough up some tax so some son of a bitch can steal "legally". What a load of shit, Europeans (and eventually Americans) need to do the most logical thing like what the Canadians did, give it the thumbs down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bluey Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 i dont understand... how are they planning to tell who downloads music and who doesnt? who'd sign up to be charged for something they could just do for free with a bit of effort?? they should've started with a "free cake for people who illegally download musik" campaign... THEN they'da had a good list going.. we already pay to use the internets... why isnt the music industry teaming up with the internet providers to shaft us THAT way?? ...i didnt say anything... O_O! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayseven Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 "the music industry will announce today that 12,000 letters will be sent over the summer to repeat downloaders warning them they are breaking the law. They hope the shock tactics will deter internet users from illegal file-sharing... They could also be ordered to install filters that would prevent downloading. " and "A memorandum of understanding has been signed by the BPI, which represents hundreds of record companies, and the six largest internet providers. It commits them to work together to achieve a "significant reduction" in illegal file-sharing." .. are the key things to me, besides the whole my-internet-bill-might-suddently-jump-£30. I think it's more likely for the ISPs to block the ports first. Who are the top 6 anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noodleman Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 How much of this £30 fee will go to the artists I'm betting none. Also as I understand its not a voluntary thing, everybody who has an interent account will get this £30 added to their bill regardless of wether they download or not. In the long run this will surely harm the record industry if you are already being accused of being a dirty pirate and have paid £30 then fuck it you might as well just download everything. C.D sales will finish after all you've been charged £30 because the record industry thinks you're going to steal the latest high school musical album anyway, so you might as well prove them right rather then buying it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Phhhft, seems a daft idea to me. Can a ISP even determine what's being downloaded? Like between a video or a song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jordan Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 The only way they can tell what you're downloading is to monitor IP addresses on key torrents/torrenting sites. Even then you could: Use an extremely strong torrent client that doesn't shown your IP so it becomes unresolvable (unfindable) or use a proxy so you have a different IP address to yours. Alternativly, use Direct Connect, newsgroups, random P2P programs, rapidshare and all the other online sharing sites. Theres no fucking way the music industry will get away with this. £5 a year? Fine. £30? Fuck you. I hardly ever download music, mostly because 95% of it is utter bull shit pop bollocks and i sure as hell ain't using iTunes... EDIT: Regarding the whole ports issue. Most computers/routers can output to over 9000 ports (yes, i said over 9000). What are they going to do, limit every port apart from essentials? Thats just madness. Also, seeing as the ISP's in this country are utter cocks with their ratio'd DSL speeds and download caps and "oh you went over your limit, LOL ENJOY EXTRA BILL." they're going to be all over this like a prositute. Urgh i hate this country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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