Private copying levies take their toll on Italian families denounces Altroconsumo (15 January 2010)

 In the course of a year, an average family will spend up to €100 more thanks to a new government Decree fixing copyrightⁱ levies. Unbeknown to them, consumers buying electronic goods such as blank CDs, USB keys, memory sticks or multimedia mobile phones will be forced to pay a levy for the right to make private copies. This levy is applied to compensate the authors of music, audio and video content for the alleged economic harm due to private copying. Altroconsumo believes the current rules on private copying are an aberration, because consumers pay up to three times for using the same content even only once. For example, someone legally downloading a song from iTunes, will be paying a copyright levy on the song downloaded. Then another copyright levy applies on the purchase of the PC. Finally, he or she will incur a further fee for the use of an iPod as a listening device. The cost of pleasing copyright holder associations is too much for Italian families, argues Altroconsumo.

For more information read http://www.altroconsumo.it/prezzi/ben-100-euro-a-famiglia-in-piu-per-accontentare-la-siae-s264713.htm