Swiss consumers facing tax on digital audio players

It looks like Switzerland is going down a road other countries have traveled before, with a Federal Court now confirming a tax on digital audio players and other devices that had originally been slated to go into effect in March of 2006. That date ended up being pushed back after complaints from various groups, some of whom deemed the tax to be too high while others thought it was too low, according to SwissInfo. The court apparently found the tax to be just right though, and it's now set to go into effect next month, tacking anywhere from $25 to $75 onto the price of various audio devices, including flash and hard drive-based digital music players, as well as other hard drive-based audio/video recorders. Seems like our gadget-happy Swiss friends just can't catch a break these days.

[Thanks, Jonathan D]

[Nikoooo @ Jul 11th 2007 1:56PM]

Well this means I'll have to buy my next osX based iPod before going back home. Hurry Steve, before my contract ends!

@ engadget: there a typo in the tag for SwitzeraLnd

[charles @ Jul 11th 2007 2:08PM]

When countries do this, does that then legitimize and/or make legal pirating songs for use on the device? Or is it a preemptive punishment to catch everyone, but if you actually get caught, you'll pay more? Or what?

[Tom @ Jul 11th 2007 7:17PM]

Downloading and copying audio/video files is legal in Switzerland, just uploading and/or selling copies aint. It's actualy part of the "justification" for this newest extortion by the SUISA, that without this tax Switzerland would be forced to prohibit what's legal now (even if that's absolutely not the case as the govt's explanation for the legality of copy/dl is that it can't be forced on the consumer to know what's legal sources and what not).

But yeah, sounds to me like an invitation to not buy but dl. After all with this tax, buying a player means paying for the music in advance now.

[Zarniwoop @ Jul 11th 2007 2:11PM]

Is this tax going to cause embargoes on Clogs, Yodeling, Cheese, and um... Hot Chocolate?

Bah I just can't think of anything funny about this one. Someone else take up the torch here.

[chrisd @ Jul 11th 2007 2:12PM]

hmm good question charles, I honestly don't know but thought of the same thing.
well another reason to download stuff then... hell this sort of stuff actually promotes piracy when you think about it. It's sad, but I don't feel like paying not only for the media, but also for my backup copy on my hd and my mp3 player. its just pathetic

[tiuk @ Jul 11th 2007 3:11PM]

In Canada we pay a tax on writable CDs/DVDs. It's legal for us to download music, but not distribute (upload).

[chrisd @ Jul 11th 2007 3:22PM]

yep, in switzerland as well

[DutchGuy @ Jul 11th 2007 3:25PM]

Ah.. so another markup on the already criminally high prices for almost anything in Europe. I say Europe, and not Switzerland, because obviously this opens the doors for similar extra rip-off taxes in most other European countries. They've been suggesting taxes like this for years now in the Netherlands, but luckily so far we've been able to fight off the ratty politicians with their money-grabbing paws. But I'm afraid it won't be long before they'll tack another €50-€70 onto the average iPod prices...

[BoZs13 @ Jul 11th 2007 3:45PM]

Pirating Music in Switzerland is legal for now....ok it's not exactly "legal" but it's not illegal.

[James @ Jul 11th 2007 3:46PM]

Just so I'm clear on this: everybody is assumed to be a criminal and pays a fee for the piracy they're obviously going to commit (and of course, people with bigger drives will commit more piracy). Then, Big Mommy Government takes these fees, decide who will be pirated more (hint: whoever buys the most expensive car for the chairman of the commission that doles out the money), and gives them a big pile of cash.

This sounds like an excellent system. Boy, I wish *I* could live in Socialist Europe.

Wait, no, I wish I could sell cheap American MP3 players to the Swiss at huge markups (but still for less than the cost of this insane "tax"). Yeah, that would rock.

[Tom @ Jul 11th 2007 7:08PM]

Don't be silly. Swiss anti-corruption laws make the US look like the banana republic it is.

[Chasqui @ Jul 11th 2007 4:54PM]

Announcement: This is your Swiss government. We feel that you may spread harmful STD's like AIDS. To counteract this we will be lopping off a portion of your penis. Proceed as normal. Thank you.

[tekdroid @ Jul 11th 2007 8:23PM]

Poor Switzerland.
I wonder how strictly imports from USA and elsewhere are handled by Customs there.
-------------------
"It said Swiss consumers would get a raw deal and effectively be hit three times for authors' rights. On top of the new levy they pay a tax for downloading music from the internet and another one when they buy a blank CD.

However, Suisa and other associations responsible for administering authors' rights said the court decision allowed them to continue a system which they consider fair for consumers and artists."

^^^^^
It must be nice to feed the machine like that. "authors rights". Last I checked someone is paid for their work, not paid for nothing. The industry is so corrupt. It would be very interesting to know where all these slush funds are actually distributed. Not just in switzerland but worldwide.

I'm sure independent artists that challenge the mainstream craptacular will be getting paid...

[DrunkenCP @ Jul 12th 2007 1:37PM]

This is harsh because, while $25 may not seem like much when you're dropping a few hundred dollars on a pricey DAP like an iPod video, it is when you're just buying a cheap little flash player for under a hundred. I hope that they adjust the tax appropriately. I wonder if it is based on the storage capacity of the player, or the features such as video playback. I hope that they do not do something like this in the US. I can see the starry, hopeful gleam in the eyes of the RIAA right now. Hopefully, I won't have to dust off my portable CD player or tape deck.

[Jason @ Jul 20th 2007 1:14PM]

In germany it is based on capacity, (x number of euros per GB)and is levied differently depending on the type of media or device.