James Delahunty
16 Feb 2008 1:57
The European Commission is set to consult over the current copyright levy systems in place in many EU states. Copyright levies can apply to anything from blank CDs and DVDs to MP3 players and forms of storage. It is a surcharge on the price of an item based on certain criteria. This revenue is collected and then distributed to artists thought to be victims of music and video piracy.
The problem with the levies is the assumption that all of these items purchased will be used for private copying. Charlie McCreevy, EC Internal Markets Commissioner said that while the EU wouldn't scrap the idea of compensating artists for this copying, there is a problem with the wide diversity of implementation throughout the EU states.
"I hope this new round of consultations can lead to solutions being found to the discrepancies that the diverse application of these levies have led to," he said. "There can be no question of calling into doubt the entitlement of rights holders to compensation for private copying. At the same time there is a need to look at how the levies are applied in practice."
If the copyright laws of an EU nation allow for private copying, then the European Union Copyright Directive (EUCD) demands that artists be adequately compensated. Most EU states do charge a levy, but at least the UK, Ireland and Luxembourg have never implemented a levy.
"It should be possible to envisage some workable solution that assures the rights holders of their due compensation and at the same time applying the levies in a way that is commensurate with the loss caused by private copying," McCreevy said. "If pragmatic and workable solutions are to be found, all sides need to come to this debate with a constructive approach."