Canada issues levy on non-removable memory (for MP3 players)

[Tim May]

On Jan 11, 2004, at 8:24 AM, Adam wrote:

> I know this story is quite a bit old, but I really have to wonder how
> legal this levy is.
>
> http://www.cb-cda.gc.ca/news/c20032004nr-e.html
>
> "The Board also sets for the first time a levy on non-removable memory
> permanently embedded in digital audio recorders (such as MP3 players) 
> at
> $2 for each recorder with a memory capacity of up to 1 Gigabyte (Gb),
> $15 for each recorder with memory capacity of more than 1 Gb and up to
> 10 Gbs, and $25 for each recorder with memory capacity of more than 10
> GBs."
>
> It just seems to me to be a bit sketchy to tax intended illegal usage. 
> I
> mean, that'd be like taxing condoms b/c of prostitution.
>
> Would something like this go over in the US? I wonder ...


It already has, many times.

Directly parallel to the Canadian tax is the tax on blank media for 
music recording, part of the Home Recording Act of 1991. (Or close to 
that year...Google for details if interested.) This tax was placed on 
blanks ostensibly to recompense recording artists for taped music.

Less directly parallel, but certain "sin taxes," are the various and 
very high taxes on cigarettes, alcohol, etc.

And the exorbitant "luxury taxes" on various expensive things like 
certain kinds of jewelry, yachts, expensive cars, etc.  And various 
shakedowns of casinos with special taxes, such as Schwarz nigger's 
"demand" that Indian casinos in California "share their profits" with 
the state to help with the deficit.

And various collectivists and fascists have proposed taxes on 
ammunition, ostensibly to recompense victims for being shot. (Ignoring 
the fact that what it would do is penalize those who practice, shooting 
200 or more rounds at a trip to the range, while having no effect on 
the typical gangsta negro or Mexican with less than one box of ammo to 
his name, but still using his "piece" to shoot several people. The 
recreational shooter ends up paying 99.9% of the tax, the gangsta pays 
a dollar or two per box.)

The point is, the U.S. taxes what political animals call "sin" quite a 
bit.

--Tim May