Needless to say, various groups representing artists, songwriters and publishers have welcomed that previously reported decision by the European Commission to put off making a ruling on copyright levies charged on CDRs and MP3 players in most countries within the European Union (but not the UK). As previously reported, the electronics industry are trying to have such levies, which are designed to compensate artists for private copies consumers make of their music, abolished, and the EC was due to reach a decision on the future of such levies last week. But instead the EC said more time was needed to consider the arguments for and against the levy system, so levies currently in place would stay for the time being.
Responding to that decision, Culture First, a cross-industry coalition representing creative bodies who benefit from the levies told reporters: "We salute the Commission's determination to address intellectual property and cultural issues with all appropriate consideration and proper debates. Remuneration for private copying entails no significant extra costs for the hardware industry that markets copy-enabling equipment or media and makes high profits from these sales. It is currently the only mechanism that allows the creative sector to be compensated for the widespread copying of their works for domestic use. Crucially, in exchange of a legitimate top-up to the income of rightholders, it enables consumers to make copies for their private use."
As previously reported, the trade body representing the electronics industry criticised the decision, accusing EC President José Manuel Barroso of giving in to French demands to keep the levies.