Germany is set to impose a copyright levy of about US $13 on each new computer sold in that country. The money would go to a fund to reimburse copyright holders for unauthorized copying. (Thanks to C-FIT.) For some history on this, see FOSN for 8/31/01 (scroll to the third story). What I can't tell is whether the copyright levy on hardware will come with universal permission to copy. If so, that's a big gain for a small cost and users should decide whether it's a bargain. Hardware manufacturers oppose the plan and actually prefer DRM. If the levy does not imply permission to copy, then which copying does it cover? If it covers copying without prior permission, then users will simply stop asking for permission, and convert all copying to pre-paid copying. If it covers copying without pre-payment, then that begs the question. What does the levy pre-pay? The German plan needn't be this paradoxical, but the news accounts I've seen so far don't explain how the plan would continue to distinguish authorized from unauthorized copying.
Posted by
Peter Suber at 3/08/2003 01:39:00 PM.
The open access movement:
Putting peer-reviewed scientific and scholarly literature
on the internet. Making it available free of charge and
free of most copyright and licensing restrictions.
Removing the barriers to serious research.
