Japan considers iPod tax as music industry lobbies for levy on MP3 players

Japan is the latest country to consider an iPod tax - ie adding a levy to the sale of digital music players that is passed back to the music companies, based on the idea that it is compensation for all the private copies of music consumers will make onto their music players. Such a levy already exists in Japan on DAT players and MiniDisc Players, but the government's Cultural Affairs Agency is now considering calls by the country's music business to add it to MP3 players. It's not the first time an iPod Tax has been discussed in Japanese political circles - back in 2005 the music industry trade bodies were unsuccessful in their attempt to get one introduced. As previously reported, in the UK, where no levy has ever existed on tapes, CDRs or electronic recording devices, the Music Business Group is proposing a licence system whereby manufacturers can opt to pay a levy if they wish - in theory players made by manufacturers who had not paid the levy could not be used for making private copies, though, of course, in reality they would.