“A proposal to add a $5 monthly fee to every wireless and Internet account that would allow music consumers access to all recorded music available online has been called a ‘pipe dream’ by the president of the Canadian Record Industry Association, Reuters and Billboard has reported,” The Globe and Mail reports.
“The Songwriters Association of Canada claims the plan… would raise $1-billion a year that would be distributed to artists, labels and publishers,” The Globe and Mail reports.
“CRIA president Graham Henderson said… ‘We don’t want to pursue what amounts to a pipe dream that is presented as a quick fix,'” The Globe and Mail reports.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Socialism is a pipe dream. Users who do not use the Internet for music would be unfairly forced to pay for those who do. Let capitalism work its magic, Canada.
re: MDN take
Yeah, that “capitalism magic” is working so well for you in the US.
it’s working great, poo. You got any complaints, take them to the U.N. I’m sure they will get right on it…..
I don’t think this will happen of course, but it’s only because they are song writers. One only has to look at their phone and utility bills to see that both these companies and the government use this type surcharge to raise a lot more for themselves than the Canadian song writers are looking for.
Socialism is the first step towards communism.
@poo
Well…as a matter of fact, it is. Thank you very much.
Nothing is free. The only way to control consumption is through pricing.
I don’t doubt that the RIAA is lobbying for something very similar at this very moment right here in the US.
Yes, Capitalism is working its magic quite nicely, thanks:
US gross domestic purchases: Real gross domestic purchases — purchases by U.S. residents of goods and services wherever produced — increased 3.3 percent in the third quarter, compared with an increase of 2.4 percent in the second.
US gross national product: Real gross national product — the goods and services produced by the labor and property supplied by U.S. residents — increased 5.8 percent in the third quarter, compared with an increase of 4.0 percent in the second. GNP includes, and GDP excludes, net receipts of income from the rest of the world, which increased $25.9 billion in the third quarter after increasing $5.8 billion in the second; in the third quarter, receipts increased $32.0 billion, and payments increased $6.1 billion.
US current-dollar GDP:Current-dollar GDP — the market value of the nation’s output of goods and services — increased 6.0 percent, or $201.7 billion, in the third quarter to a level of $13,970.5 billion. In the second quarter, current-dollar GDP increased 6.6 percent, or $216.9 billion.
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/gdp/gdpnewsrelease.htm
@Poo
Capitalism at it’s best. Don’t like it, move.
Compare our grocery stores with what Russia has.
Compare our health care with what Canada has.
Compare our retail stores with what Cuba has.
Wanna get rich? Work hard, study, get a better job. Worked for me.
I’m a Canadian, and Trust me, I think it’s the dumbest idea ever.
just because the music industry has stead its products all over the Internet doesn’t mean they can now come tax users for it. What a B.S. claim! Hell, why doesn’t the publishing industry demand taxes for all the news stories circulating? And universities for all the research? And hookers, pimps and skanks for all the porn! Go Canada and their $10/month porn tax!
What if the writers suck? Do they still get $5?!
Hey, I don’t like the plan either. Oddly, that puts me in the position of agreeing with the Canadian counterpart to the RIAA.
My gripe is the typical xenophobic reaction in the MDN reply.
US economy and $ are way(!) down… that was my point… cannot be said for our “socialist” country.
poo,
As evidenced by your total lack of understanding of components of the U.S. economy and the U.S. economy in general, it’s no surprise that you’re a socialist.
My advice: leave economic theory to those who are better equipped.
while this is a very bad idea in my mind….
capitalism work its magic?
you see todays inflation numbers on health care?
the “invisible hand of the market” is choking people to death in america. wake up…..
So?
In Britain we want a £5 fee from everyone who can read.
It should raise £10bn a year to distribute to everyone who can write.
We have issues with things like health care because it’s not true capitalism… the government interferes like crazy.. andthe trial lawyers.
@Think: I couldn’t agree with you more, except that you may want to take a closer comparative look at the US vs Canadian healthcare systems.
Would love Capitalism to exist in Canada.
Let’s start with Apple iPhones as a North American release not some two tiered, second class, we’ll supply that market when the good markets are done….
New Apple Stores outside of New York… enough already!
Apple Pricing in Canada to reflect Canadian Dollar valuation to the US Peso…
CNBC to not block Canadians from accessing their site.
American Capitalism is great. MDN…back in your doghouse please..
Songwriters of Canada…keep singing but piss off on flat fees. If everyone on the Internet got $5/ month for singing…. imagine how much Politicians would demand.
My oh my, it is amazing how a forum on Apple can devolve into just about any of life’s trials and tribulations. Just goes to show that anyone who can type doesn’t necessarily mean they inherited rational thought along with it. Sigh 🙁
Holy Fsck you guys, back off on poo. You’ve missed poo’s point completely. Feeling a little sensitive today or what. Hell, Economist has poo pegged as a socialist. Economist, here’s some advice for you, try and learn a little more about your neighbours, they aren’t all socialists and commies and terrorists and bogeymen even if ol’ Georgie boy says they are.
In a country where every product label needs to be in both French AND English, this songwriter grab might just fly.
We all think it’s great how well the US economy currently works. Makes everything in the States dead cheap for us. It’s currently 2 Dollars to the Pound!
And healthcare?
My complaint with Poo is the sarcasm. Capitalism and Socialism both have good points and bad points. Same as Conservative or Liberal. Hell I even think a benign dictator would be the best system except that it is impossible to have as people get corrupt.
@Think…yup I did compare the health systems. As ours is the envy of the world, methinks you are a little confused my friend.
@economist … my advice to you is shut up … I don’t see any exlpanation from you to prove how you have such a great understanding … one country is capitalist the other is a bit socialist …. they both work … get over yourself …