AF wrote:
> Today the European media reported about a breakthrough decision taken by
> the German government: an universal fee will be applied to the internet.
> [...] 18 euros($26.5) per month [...]
I note that the above was posted from york.ac.uk. In the UK, this
week's Pre-Budget Report included:
"Mr Speaker, we are modernising the UK's digital infrastructure
and, in the process, creating thousands more skilled jobs. We have
provided funding to help extend the opportunities of the broadband
network to more remote communities. We now want to go further, so
we can provide the next generation of super-fast broadband to 90
per cent of the population by the end of 2017. This will be funded
through a duty of 50 pence a month on landlines which will be
included in the Finance Bill. " -- Alistair Darling, Chancellor
Although much smaller, once this inequitable infotax is established, I
fear a greater push to collect royalties for various legacy
publishers, in line with the New Enclosures theory which myself and
some smarter people have been warning about for years.
Are internet taxes happening in other countries?
What can we do to fight it? Has anyone got one overturned yet?
> Internet should be like health care in France, free and of the best possible
> quality.
>
> What do you think?
Universal Declaration of Human Rights - Article 12:
"* No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his
privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his
honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of
the law against such interference or attacks."
Aren't infotaxes arbitrary interference with our correspondence?
Isn't this why Value Added Tax (VAT) is not charged on postage stamps?
http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageLibrary_PublicNoticesAndInfoSheets&propertyType=document&columns=1&id=HMCE_CL_000855#P31_1621
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/forms-rates/rates/goods-services.htm#7
So are the UK Landline Levy and the German internet fee open to
court action and anyone got funding to try?
Regards,
--
MJ Ray (slef) Webmaster and LMS developer at | software
www.software.coop http://mjr.towers.org.uk | .... co
IMO only: see http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html | .... op
_______________________________________________
Discuss mailing list
[email protected]
http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss
