Dutch Pass iPod Tax

[Gwarsbane]

http://apple.slashdot.org/apple/05/04/29/0...?tid=176&tid=98

An anonymous reader writes "The Register is reporting that in a few short months a proposal to tax all MP3 players in the Netherlands will become law. The levy taxes 3.28 euros ($4.30 US) for every gigabyte of capacity. This means a 60GB iPod Photo will be hit for an additional 196 euros ($258), all of it going to the record industry's copyright collection agencies. And they call file sharers thieves?"

I can see alot of dutch parents and kids buying an Ipod from what ever countries are next door to them and bringing them in that way to save a crap load of money.

[Gragoon]

I can see alot of dutch parents and kids buying an Ipod from what ever countries are next door to them and bringing them in that way to save a crap load of money.

they'll invade germany..well..they already are invading germany because almost everything is cheaper over here

[Quickening]

Why would you take mp3 players?

[Gwarsbane]

Why is the purpose of taxing mp3 players?

The purpose of taxing MP3 players is the same reason they tax blank media (audio/video tapes, CDs and DVDs) because they claim they are losing money.

Last night I heard a number, they said they have been losing over 200 million a year. I'm not sure if thats just Canadian or if thats world wide. If thats world wide then thats pretty pathetic. That ammount could easily be accounted for by

Actual pirates that copy a CD or what ever and then sell it. (I don't mind if they goto jail)
Paying all those lawyers for going after 12 year olds
Paying politicians (err I mean throwing parties for them) to convince them that mp3s are bad
Paying for advertising on TV and radio against P2P
Over paying for advertising for CDs that have poorly sold
Ticking off the people that buy their stuff by suing them.

And I'm sure there are a few other factors that make up what they say they have lost.