Lord Carter has proposed that every broadband user be taxed £20 a year, with the money going to a body that helps the music and film industries track down illegal filesharers. In detail:
An additional charge for broadband use will be proposed by ministers today as part of a plan to stamp out music and film piracy.
Lord Carter of Barnes, the Communications Minister, will propose the creation of a quango, paid for by a charge that could amount to £20 a year per broadband connection. The idea will be at the heart of the Digital Britain Green Paper to be unveiled by ministers, which includes plans to create jobs by boosting broadband take-up.
The agency would act as a broker between music and film companies and internet service providers (ISPs). It would provide data about serial copyright-breakers to music and film companies if they obtained a court order. It would be paid for by a levy on ISPs, who inevitably would pass the cost on to consumers.
This is obvious nonsense. All it would do is:
1. create another big bureaucracy that would waste money
2. prop up the music and film industries’ failing business models. If we want the UK economy to prosper, we should support new riseing successful business models, not subsidise failing ones.
3. make braodband more expensive which will obviously not encourage wider adoption.
I am not convinced that Britain should have a broadband tax, but if it does have one it should be done properly (also here).
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