Dear free software lovers,
Today in Spain we have been suprised by some bad news in the media. It has been revealed that Traxdata Spain has been forced to pay royalties for each data CD-R manufactured since 1997 to Author's Society known as SGAE (Sociedad General de Autores de España). The royalty free is about 0,18 euros per burnable hour, so each CD-R will cost between 0,22 and 0,24 euros more (in fact it will be between 1/2 and 1/4 of the media price).
Computer users are very angry about this, and so is the free software community. We see that SGAE is making money without any right to it when we burn CDs with free software, backups, etc. For example, my Citius Debian copy, which consists of 10 CDs, will cost to copy 2,2 euros more, which is quite a difference if we think that it has no other expense.
We also think that this court decission harms rights granted by Spanish Constitution, and are planning action against those royalties.
I'd like to know how are things along Europe, so that we have some more background on the subject.
I've been told that in France a similar royalty was set to CD-Rs.
I'd appreciate any further information you could have.
Thanks a lot,
On Ter, 2002-01-15 at 23:34, Eneko Lacunza wrote:
We also think that this court decission harms rights granted by Spanish Constitution, and are planning action against those royalties.
I'd like to know how are things along Europe, so that we have some more background on the subject.
France, Portugal and I think Germany have the same kind of taxes. Belgium was preparing a tax like that, but I don't know what the status is there. The UK does not have such a law.
In Spain it only includes CD-Rs ? In Portugal it includes every recording/copying device and blank media (which includes paper copiers, VCRs, diskettes, etc.).
Hi João Miguel,
El mié, 16-01-2002 a las 00:59, João Miguel Neves escribió:
We also think that this court decission harms rights granted by Spanish Constitution, and are planning action against those royalties. I'd like to know how are things along Europe, so that we have some more background on the subject.
France, Portugal and I think Germany have the same kind of taxes. Belgium was preparing a tax like that, but I don't know what the status is there. The UK does not have such a law. In Spain it only includes CD-Rs ? In Portugal it includes every recording/copying device and blank media (which includes paper copiers, VCRs, diskettes, etc.).
No. We have a law that applies that royalty to audio casettes and video cassetes. I believe there's also a royalty on paper copiers. Magnetic disks (any type, fixed, hard, magneto-optic, ...), backup cassettes, DATs, ... aren't charged at all. I think that CD-R producers were paying royalties for CD-R Audio only, and there are some other CD-R producers in court actually.
Thanks for your info.
Regards.
At 0:34 +0100 16-01-2002, Eneko Lacunza wrote:
Dear free software lovers,
Today in Spain we have been suprised by some bad news in the media. It has been revealed that Traxdata Spain has been forced to pay royalties for each data CD-R manufactured since 1997 to Author's Society known as SGAE (Sociedad General de Autores de España). The royalty free is about 0,18 euros per burnable hour, so each CD-R will cost between 0,22 and 0,24 euros more (in fact it will be between 1/2 and 1/4 of the media price).
Computer users are very angry about this, and so is the free software community. We see that SGAE is making money without any right to it when we burn CDs with free software, backups, etc. For example, my Citius Debian copy, which consists of 10 CDs, will cost to copy 2,2 euros more, which is quite a difference if we think that it has no other expense.
We also think that this court decission harms rights granted by Spanish Constitution, and are planning action against those royalties.
I'd like to know how are things along Europe, so that we have some more background on the subject.
I've been told that in France a similar royalty was set to CD-Rs.
In Italy, each CD must be , since a few monthes, certified with a stamp from the Author's Rights ministerial Office (SIAE, società italiana degli autori). I hope that somebody from Italy that followed this question will add more informations.
Raphael
On Wed, Jan 16, 2002 at 01:19:30AM +0100, raphael calvelli wrote:
At 0:34 +0100 16-01-2002, Eneko Lacunza wrote:
Today in Spain we have been suprised by some bad news in the media. It has been revealed that Traxdata Spain has been forced to pay royalties for each data CD-R manufactured since 1997 to Author's Society known as SGAE (Sociedad General de Autores de España). The royalty free is about 0,18 euros per burnable hour, so each CD-R will cost between 0,22 and 0,24 euros more (in fact it will be between 1/2 and 1/4 of the media price). [...] I'd like to know how are things along Europe, so that we have some more background on the subject.
In Italy, each CD must be , since a few monthes, certified with a stamp from the Author's Rights ministerial Office (SIAE, società italiana degli autori). I hope that somebody from Italy that followed this question will add more informations.
Yes --- here in Italy, the SIAE (Italian Society of Authors and Publishers) is a (semi) private society that, by law, forces the apposition of a ribbon over every media containing every kind of data that could be copyrighted, and that is going to be distributed. It doesn't matter wheter the author is not affiliated with SIAE, or wheter the data could be freely distributed (as in Software Libre).
Anyway, this does _not_ apply to blank CD-Rs.
In Italy, "normal" CD-Rs are not taxed. But the the "Compact Disc Digital Audio Recordable for consumer" (i. e. the ones that have to be used with a CD writer directly connected to an hi-fi) are covered by a SIAE royalty (and their price is four times higher than the one of a "normal" CD-R).
Also, the same SIAE royalty is applied to blank audio and video tapes, and (maybe) minidiscs, DATs etc.
Regards,
Alceste
On Wed, Jan 16, 2002 at 08:22:18AM +0100, Alceste Scalas wrote:
Yes --- here in Italy, the SIAE (Italian Society of Authors and Publishers) is a (semi) private society that, by law, forces the apposition of a ribbon over every media [...]
s/ribbon/stamp/
Regards,
Alceste
On Tuesday 15 January 2002 11:34 pm, Eneko Lacunza wrote:
Dear free software lovers,
Today in Spain we have been suprised by some bad news in the media. It has been revealed that Traxdata Spain has been forced to pay royalties for each data CD-R manufactured since 1997 to Author's Society known as SGAE (Sociedad General de Autores de España). The royalty free is about 0,18 euros per burnable hour, so each CD-R will cost between 0,22 and 0,24 euros more (in fact it will be between 1/2 and 1/4 of the media price).
Maybe we can turn this round.
The purpose of such laws (at least in principle) is that when someone copies information onto a CD, the creator of the information gets paid. Well, authors of free software are creators of information, aren't they? So shouldn't they get a share of the revenue that SGAE receives? If it is too difficult to pay each author individually, how about a big payment to FSF and Debian?
--- *** Philip Hunt *** philh@comuno.freeserve.co.uk ***
Hi Phil,
El mié, 16-01-2002 a las 16:44, phil hunt escribió:
Today in Spain we have been suprised by some bad news in the media. It has been revealed that Traxdata Spain has been forced to pay royalties for each data CD-R manufactured since 1997 to Author's Society known as SGAE (Sociedad General de Autores de España). The royalty free is about 0,18 euros per burnable hour, so each CD-R will cost between 0,22 and 0,24 euros more (in fact it will be between 1/2 and 1/4 of the media price).
Maybe we can turn this round. The purpose of such laws (at least in principle) is that when someone copies information onto a CD, the creator of the information gets paid. Well, authors of free software are creators of information, aren't they? So shouldn't they get a share of the revenue that SGAE receives? If it is too difficult to pay each author individually, how about a big payment to FSF and Debian?
Yes, it is a clever idea and we have talked about it a bit. Anyway, we're going against the royalties first, if the are set up definitely, will fight for our money 8)
The big problem is who is the author os a free software, and how he can ask for his money.
Regards