In Canada, a bold move to tackle music piracy could see a tax imposed on all music downloads. The tax would be at least 2.1 cents per track, or at least 1.5 cents per track for a complete album.
The tiny surcharge, already sanctioned by the Copyright Board of Canada, would be implemented with the aim of compensating musicians for piracy. The move is similar to the 21-cent fee already applied to blank CDs bought in Canada.
Digital-download stores such as iTunes would have to factor the new tax into the cost of music. Apple is said to be none to happy with the proposed tax, so it looks unlikely that the move will be implemented any time soon.
Apple is angry because it would mean tracks cost more, which would further turn people to P2P filesharing sites like Ares where music can be acquired for free.
If and when the tax is imposed, expect it to be a gradual process.