Avast, a safe harbour

Despite this author’s cleverness, I doubt his theory that Canada’s CDR tax levy (Backstory: in Canada, a portion of the price of every CDR, DVDR, cassette tape and other media goes to pay royalties for Canadian musicians) makes Canadians exempt from RIAA-style witchhunts that are currently going on. I doubt his theory will hold much water in court, and the CPCC is the Canadian version of the RIAA, so you can bet they have tremendous lobbying and financial powers.

Interestingly, just like their American counterparts, Canadian musicians have seen little of these “royalties” paid to them. However, the CPCC did seem have enough money in 2002 to take its entire Ottawa office to France for an anti-piracy symposium.

In other words, just because they’re screwing us already, it doesn’t mean they won’t resort to suing grandmothers and 12-year old girls in public housing here. (Although hopefully we have decent people here too when that time comes)

Oh, and yeah, we are heavily taxed here, thanks for noticing. 15% total on goods and services here in Ontario. Coincidentally, we have less homeless sleeping in our parks, and nobody worries about losing a life’s savings if they are diagnosed with a serious illness.