READ: German court sets copyright levy on new PCs

[TechZ]

- Germans purchasing a new Personal Computer will have to pay 12 Euro (~$16,-) copyright fee. This is due to the outcome of a lawsuit between VG Wort rights society, an organisation that is seeking compensation for digital copying, and Fujitsu Siemens, a computer builder.

[techs]

That sounds like the royalties blank cassettes are charged. If this ends the whole copyright/downloading music controversy its great. Pay the levy and download away.

[Archer]

Apart from the fact they cant spell

for lost royalties from private copying of music, images and moves.

Its yet again a presumption of guilt placed upon the user by the courts after all who is to repudiate the fact all the items burnt by the user do not already carry a prepaid licence fee so in effect they are getting charged twice.