So, apparently there’s a new extension to the CDR levy. It essentially raises the price of hard drive MP3 players another $25 (if their capacity is greater than 10GB) Now, this may seem like a reasonable amount, when those MP3 players sell for more than $3-400 already. The problem that I have with it is that it’s “Guilty with no chance to be proven Innocent.” If you buy an iPod, you’re assumed to be a music pirate. While that may be true in a lot of cases, it’s equally untrue in a lot of cases. I know lots of people who have large collections of MP3s. Some of the people have “illegally” downloaded the majority of their collection, while others have legally purchased each and every CD, and personally ripped their own MP3’s.

In other words, they are innocent of pirating MP3s. They haven’t done it. Some of them even own large capacity MP3 players - the kind that will be hit by this levy. I was upset when the levy was initially instituted back in 1999, and I’m not getting any less upset this time around.

The vast majority of blank CDs that I purchase are used to store data. For example, pictures, which I take with my digital camera. Every time I burn a CD full of pictures of William, I’m paying $0.29 - some of which goes to Celine Dion, despite the fact that I actively avoid hearing her music.

It’s not a tax - it’s a levy. Being the copyright holder on my pictures, I think I want my cut.

Personally, I don’t buy a lot of CDs. I never have. I don’t listen to a lot of music, and the music that I listen to now is mostly Classical - CBC FM is great for that. The artists that I like, I support by buying their CDs - the ones that I don’t, I avoid listening to as much as possible. It’s pretty frustrating that I’m paying money to artists whose work I choose not to support, and have no choice in the matter.

So, to that end, I’m going to write a letter. Not an email, but an actual letter. I remember learning that sending letters to your MP is postage free, so the only cost will be the paper, and the envelope. I will draft the letter, and once it’s done, I will post the contents here, for the whole world to read, modify and send to their own MP if they so desire. I can be eloquent when I put my mind to it, so I have high expectations as to the quality of this letter. Obviously, this post isn’t one of my better written efforts, but it’s mainly because I don’t edit the posts - I type them as I think of what to type. The letter will be well written, well thought out, and state my points as plain as day. It will likely fall on deaf ears, but then, if I don’t write and send it, it won’t even do that.

Oh, and if you’re interested in further information on this new tax levy, check out the Press Release

Simpson’s quote of the day: “All right! Crime spree!” - Snake