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Software Giants Lobby to Eliminate European "Double Tax" on Digital Music

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 14, 2005 - 3:56am.
Brussels - "Private copy levies" imposed on digital song downloads in Europe are no longer necessary, as digital rights management security technology now embedded in most downloads sold negates the need for levies set up to compensate artists and copyright holders for potential piracy losses, the Business Software Alliance (BSA) trade group said this week at a gathering of industry leaders in Brussels. Currently, European consumers pay a royalty for online music downloads both at the point of purchase, and in the form of levies imposed when purchasing PCs, and CD and DVD burners -- which are seen as facilitating the download and burning of free music from file-sharing networks. "With DRM technology's expanding role in the market, levies have become a superfluous double tax on consumers," said Francisco Mingorance, director of public policy, Europe for the BSA. "Governments have an opportunity to bring real consumer benefits by applying the European Copyright Directive rules and phasing out the outdated levies system." The Business Software Alliance is a software industry trade group whose members include Microsoft, IBM, Intel, Apple, Cisco, Dell and Adobe.
tags: European | Digital Music | Lobby | Double Tax |

Software Lobby Creates Anti-Piracy Mascot for School Education Campaign

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 10, 2004 - 3:11am.
Washington -- The Business Software Alliance (BSA), a trade group of software companies that includes Microsoft, Apple, Adobe and Macromedia, announced on Tuesday the creation of a "copyright-crusading ferret," a character that will serve as the mascot for the group's upcoming school anti-piracy education campaign. The BSA produced a four-page comic book about "cyber ethics" that will be published in the Weekly Reader, a newspaper distributed in elementary classrooms. The comic is intended to teach children to respect copyrighted works and not download them from file-sharing networks. "Computer usage is commonplace in youth education today, and good legal and ethical behaviors need to be taught with the technology," said Diane Smiroldo, vice president of public affairs for the BSA. "We hope that naming the ferret and creating a comic book curriculum that focuses on respecting digital copyrighted works will be a fun way to remind kids and educators about the importance of learning and practicing good cyber ethics."
tags: Software | Anti-Piracy | Mascot | Lobby | Education Campaign |