Portuguese Government Capitulates On Copyright Levies, Despite Lack Of Support From Public And Artists

Back in February last year, Techdirt wrote about the rather pathetic attempts of the Portuguese Society of Authors (SPA) to drum up some support among its members for a new copyright levy on storage devices in the face of a public outcry at the extra costs this would impose on consumer and professional products. This was a dismal failure, and so it's probably no surprise that the Portuguese government didn't move forward with the original plans. 

On Techdirt.

Booming Nigeria To Adopt One Of The West's Dying Ideas: 'You Must Be A Criminal' Copyright Levies

Recently, we noted that copyright levies in Europe are looking more and more anachronistic for the high-tech world. It seems that Nigeria has not noticed this, since Afro-IP points out to us that the Copyright (Levy of Materials) Order 2012 has been approved there, which will bring them in for a very wide range of goods: 

On Techdirt.

What Next: Copyright Tax on Potato Stamps?

Printer manufacturer Hewlett-Packard has announced that the German Supreme Court ruled in a hearing that the firm will not have to pay a flat fee to German copyright collective VG Wort to cover copyrights.

And I should damn well hope so: why should people have to pay a copyright tax to print out their own documents - which, surprisingly, is what most people do most of the time. If a printer, why not on pens? Pencils? Potato stamps? - They can all be used to commit heinous acts of copyright infringement that would doubtless bring civilisation as we know it to its knees....