"London Drugs urges its customers to become involved and help stop the proposed levies that could see up to $75 charged on iPods and MP3 players, with a potential for even greater levies to be applied to personal computers in the future if the CPCC is successful," said Wynne Powell, president of London Drugs. "The CPCC's mandate is to provide compensation to the music creators, but the levy ignores the fact that levied media is often used for other purposes such as storing photos and also assumes that users of such media are not paying for their recorded music. With the mass popularity of sites such as iTunes, customers would unfairly be paying double - first for their iTunes purchase and second to the CPCC for the collected iPod levy."

As of August 18, London Drugs customers will see in-store signage providing information on the CPCC's proposed levies and suggestions for consumers on how to voice their opposition to the levy.

“Customers should not be faced with a barrier to listening to music on a device they wish to purchase,” adds Powell. “Increased costs create a non-competitive environment, leading customers to purchase electronic items in the United States, where the levy does not exist. In order to protect the rights of Canadian consumers and the retail industry, London Drugs is encouraging the public to write to their MPs with their concerns about the proposed levy.”

The CPCC has filed a motion with the Copyright Board that the levy be $5 for each MP3 recorder with less than 1 GB of memory, $25 for each device with more than 1 GB but below 10 GB of memory, $50 for each recorder with more than 10 GB and below 30 GB, and $75 for each recorder with more than 30 GB of memory. That would take the price of Apple's 30GB iPod to $365 from $290, a 26 per cent increase.

This is the second time the CPCC has sought to include iPods and MP3 players within the levy system. The CPCC first tried in 2003 but the levy was struck down by the Federal Court of Appeal, saying a digital audio recorder or device such as an iPod/MP3 player is not a medium to which the levy can be applied. A retailer coalition (which includes London Drugs and is led by the RCC) is appealing the Copyright Board’s decision to consider CPCC’s current application for an iPod levy on the basis that the issue has already been decided.

A listing of of Western Canada MPs can be found here.

An example letter for your member of parliament can be found here.

Retail Council of Canada http://www.retailcouncil.org/
Canadian Private Copying Collective - http://www.cpcc.ca/

Olsen on Your Side - iPod Levy