News
French group threatens Apple to pay royalties on iPod
By Dennis Lloyd
Publisher, iLoungeGoogle+
Published: Wednesday, March 10, 2004
News Categories: iPod
“A French association representing recorded music rights holders threatened Wednesday to take Apple Computer Inc. to court in a dispute over lost music royalties.
The argument centers on a fee levied in France on sales of blank CDs, tapes, hard disks, and other hardware that can be used to copy music. The proceeds go to musicians and other rights holders who lose money to piracy.
The Society of Music Creators, Composers and Publishers, or Sacem, accuses Apple of consistently refusing to pay the levy on sales of its iPod music player, which contains a hard disk drive.”
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1
bah humbug, apple runs their own music store and it will soon be available overseas. It will pay artists anyway.
Posted by Dan on March 10, 2004 at 6:56 AM (PST)
2
How can people get away with a levy on recording media going to artists? Who decides which artists get what?
Isnt it a bit unfair if you run a business which creates software on cdr’s for your customers, which is in no way affiliated with music or piracy and yet you have to be penalised in terms of cost because of this music “piracy”.
If a “tax” on piracy is made, doesnt that somehow make the idea of piracy more acceptable if the musisicans are being rewarded regardless?
Just my 2 pence!
Posted by Dan Meineck on March 10, 2004 at 7:00 AM (PST)
3
Geez, they reckon they’re due a slice of everything don’t they?
Why not get paid for every PC or PC harddrive ever sold? You can store music on that.
No wonder people are pirating, it’s just to annoy these greedy sods, isn’t it?
Posted by doctorjuggles on March 10, 2004 at 7:15 AM (PST)
4
Oops, just read in the article that in France, Hard drives ARE taxed this levy.
How ridiculous is that? How many millions of HD’s are sold for work use that will NEVER see a music file, and yet these people are raking in money for it regardless.
Posted by doctorjuggles on March 10, 2004 at 7:19 AM (PST)
5
I still have some blank audio cassettes! Anybody wanna sue me?
Posted by Stylescraper on March 10, 2004 at 7:19 AM (PST)
6
To be honest i don’t know how the music industry manages to have such an influence on the law if it’s suffering from such huge losses as a result of music piracy…i feel soooo sorry for them…NOT.
Posted by Dan Meineck on March 10, 2004 at 7:30 AM (PST)
7
as a french dude and as far as i know from the french laws, the tax doesn’t apply on hard drive but on built-in-mp3-players (such as iPod, RioVolt, ...).
of course other support are taxed: CDr, DVDr, memory card, minidisc… (and any other analog support such as videotape).
Posted by francis on March 10, 2004 at 8:02 AM (PST)
8
Death to the stupid french ########!
Posted by I know everything on March 10, 2004 at 11:06 AM (PST)
9
I surrender!
Posted by France on March 10, 2004 at 11:23 AM (PST)
10
Whether you agree with the French law or not, it is the law in France and Apple has to obey it if it wants to do business there. It is just like Apple has to pay sales taxes in the states that charge sales taxes (of course Apple doesn’t pay the sales taxes personally).
Posted by Xeno on March 10, 2004 at 11:28 AM (PST)
11
I agree with Xeno. A law is a law. Unless they’re going to fight the legality of the law itself, they’ve gotta pay up.
Ironic… the one screenname coming out in support of this “foreign” issue is “Xeno.”
Intentional?
Posted by Nick on March 10, 2004 at 11:34 AM (PST)
12
Sacre Bleu! Zee Ameriken peegs ar not too estupid eh? Wee vill see dem in court!
Maybe americans should tax anyone who practices the art of mime!
Posted by Stylescraper on March 10, 2004 at 11:57 AM (PST)
13
The entire claim is rediculous.
Posted by mongoos150 on March 10, 2004 at 12:42 PM (PST)
14
And I thought america had some pretty dumb laws. I should have know that the french had even “dumber” laws.
Posted by dumb on March 10, 2004 at 1:00 PM (PST)
15
Bloody French again!!
Posted by Dave on March 10, 2004 at 1:05 PM (PST)
16
Why is the only racism that is socially acceptable in the US today racism against the French? If it wasn’t for our brothers and sisters in Revolution we’d still be a part of the British Commonwealth.
I think most of the people who mouth off about the French are what we would have called Tories in 1776 and chased their hides out of the country and back to Canada!
Posted by racists on March 10, 2004 at 1:29 PM (PST)
17
i dont think its racism, we make fun of all frenchman, black , white..whatever. I think French actions (or lack of) in WW2 and the more recent war in Iraq are more prevelant in Americans minds then what happened in the Revolution.
Plus they smell funny and wear berets.
Posted by frenchie on March 11, 2004 at 1:42 AM (PST)
18
frenchie - i hate to talk off topic about politics but this thread has already gone there - maybe the french realised that the only wmd’s in iraq were the ones the us sold them in the 70’s, and that they didnt want to go to war in order to secure some barrels of oil and strengthen the leadership of the most idiotic man in power.
Posted by dmeineck on March 11, 2004 at 2:35 AM (PST)
19
I HATE MIMES!@!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Stylescraper on March 11, 2004 at 7:29 AM (PST)
20
France is a pointless bag of crap full of smelly arse tickling ####. I can’t stand the greasy ####.
Posted by French Hater on March 11, 2004 at 8:49 AM (PST)
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