Canadian 'MP3 Player' Tax [Updated]

The Canadian Copyright Board approved a new tax to be added to MP3 devices imported and manufactured in Canada.

The new fees are based on a sliding scale with $1.50/unit for devices up to 1 GB, $11.25 for 1-10GB, and $19 for devices more than 10GB.

The new fees are intended to offset copyright infringement losses presumably by users of such devices. However, concerns are raised in the article about the industry "double-dipping" by gaining these fees as well as earnings from legitimate download services (such as Apple's iTunes Music Store) which support the same devices.

Also in progress in Canada is Supreme Court case in which arguments are being heard over whether or not Internet Service Providers (ISPs) should start paying tariffs for (illegally) downloaded music.

The new ruling legalizes P2P music downloading in Canada.