What is EICTA?
What is BSA?
What role does the EU play?
What is a levy?
What is the levy for?
Do I have to pay levies?
Which countries impose a levy?
What type of equipment do I have to pay a levy on?
Who collects the levy?
Where does the money go?
What is a Rights Holder?
What is a Collecting Society?
What is the position of the collecting societies?
What effect will the levies have?
Where can I find more information about levies?
What do artists think about levies?
What is DRM?
How does DRM work?
Who uses DRM?
Where can I find out more about DRM?
What is a TPM?
How can DRMs and TPMs help me as a consumer?
How can DRMs and TPMs help me as a rights holder?



What is EICTA?
EICTA is the European Information, Communications and Consumer
Electronics Industry Technology Association with a direct membership
that combines 28 national ICT associations from 18 European countries
and 45 major multinational companies with manufacturing and/or R&D
facilities in the European Union.
Currently representing more than 10.000 companies in Europe, with
1.500.000 employees and revenues of over 190 billion Euro EICTA’s
mission continues to be to promote the common global interests of the
represented ICT Industry in Europe.
In September 2001 a new EICTA association was launched which combined
the strengths and brand-recognition of EICTA, the European Information
and Communications Technology Industry Association, and EACEM, the
European Association of Consumer Electronics Manufacturers.
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What is BSA?
The Business Software Alliance (BSA) is the foremost organisation dedicated to promoting a safe and legal digital world. BSA is the voice of the world's commercial software industry before governments and in the international marketplace. Its members represent the fastest growing industry in the world.
BSA educates consumers on software management and copyright protection, cyber security, trade, e-commerce and other Internet-related issues.
Established in 1988, BSA has programmes in 65 countries worldwide.
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What role does the EU play?
The EU has sought to bring copyright laws in Europe in line with international treaty obligations and to update copyright laws to reflect recent developments in technology. The EU also seeks to prevent market distortions among EU member states through the coordination of member state copyright laws. Take a look at the Impact on Europe section within ISSUES for an overview of the EU's approach to the levy situation.
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What is a levy?
A levy is a sum of money, similar to a tax, which is added to the purchase price of an object or service. The levies that are discussed on this site relate to digital devices and media that can be used for storing or copying digital information.
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What is the levy for?
Various proposals in numerous European countries to extend levies to include digital devices and media (and is discussed in the pages of this site)are meant to compensate copyright holders for authorised copies of content by private individuals. However, it is the belief of EICTA that this is not a fair way of approaching this problem. Take a look at the Impact on Europe section within ISSUES for an overview of the EU's approach to the levy situation.
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Do I have to pay levies?
At the moment, whether you have to pay a levy or not depends on which country you live in. There are plans in many European countries - which EICTA opposes - to extend levies to include digital devices and media. To see a map of EU countries already imposing levies, visit the European Situation section within the RESOURCES section.
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Which countries impose a levy?
Many countries across Europe already impose a levy on storage and reproduction equipment, as well as blank recording media. The European Situation section within the RESOURCES section of this site covers levies in more detail.
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What type of equipment do I have to pay a levy on?
Click through to the European Situation section within the RESOURCES section to see the specific levies set by European countries.
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Who collects the levy?
The levy is collected by Collecting Societies, also called Reproduction Rights Organisations. There are many different Collecting Societies throughout Europe, and often more than one in each country. For more information about the Collecting Societies in your country visit the website for the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations.
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Where does the money go?
The money collected in the form of a levy on digital devices and media is distributed by Collecting Societies to artists and rights holders, to compensate them for copies made of their works. Generally, an artist will only receive compensation if he or she is a member of a Collecting Society. Moreover, a portion of the funds collected are used to pay for the collecting societies' administrative expenses and sometimes to fund general cultural activities. Only what remains is distributed to rights holders . EICTA believes that this is not the fairest way to compensate artists, and that a better way to compensate artists is to protect their work with technologies that can limit or prevent copying in the first place.
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What is a Rights Holder?
A rights holder is a term that describes anyone who owns or can exploit the rights in original content or any kind. It includes the artist who has created the material, such as the author, musician or painter, assuming he or she remains the copyright owner. It also includes any organisation such as a publisher or recording or film studio, to whom the original creator has transferred the copyright or granted rights to exploit the work commercially. The permission of the rights holder is needed for most acts of copying the content.
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What is a Collecting Society?
A collecting society is an organisation which is responsible for collecting copyright levies (such as on cassette tapes, or publishing rights for music or literature) from companies and by extension individuals, and redistributing these monies back to the original artist or rights holders. To find out exactly where collecting societies fit in the use of levies for the digital world, take a look at the Levies are Arbitrary page.
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What is the position of the collecting societies?
Collecting societies offer a service to artists by collecting compensation on their behalf. In the current debate about the levies on digital devices and media, collecting societies are seeking the extension of levies beyond the current status quo. However, it is EICTA's view that this method of compensation does not offer artists the individual right to control their content using technology. There is more information on the Levies are Arbitrary page.
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What effect will the levies have?
It is EICTA's view that levies will have a negative effect on the use of information and communications technology across Europe. By imposing levies on technology, Europe risks falling behind other regions that do not have a levy system, and the higher cost of equipment could have a negative effect on the growth of internet usage and e-business. The Europe section covers the likely effects of levies in more detail.
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Where can I find more information about levies?
The Government Resources section of this site covers levies in more detail, and has links to further sources of information. To contact the relevant government department in your country, visit European Governments online.
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What do artists think about levies?
The opinions of such a wide and diverse community of individuals are bound to vary. Many artists believe that the current situation, where collecting societies have an exclusive position in the collection of compensation, does not give them the freedom to embrace other ways of protecting their content. Take a look at the Impact on Artists section within ISSUES for more on artists and levies, or the Testimonials section to read about artists and companies who use technology to protect their work.
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What is DRM?
DRM stands for Digital Rights Management. DRM is the term used to describe the various technologies which protect digital content from unauthorised copying, and also allow the rights holders to control the distribution of content. For more information about DRM, take a look at the Digital Rights Management section within the Technical Solutions section.
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How does DRM work?
Digital Rights Management technology works in a number of ways to control the access and distribution of digital content. The Impact on technology industries section contains more detailed information on the different methods used.
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Who uses DRM?
DRM can be used by creators, publishers or distributors who have digital content such as text, music or images, and who want to have control over the use of that content. To see the different ways DRM technologies can be applied, take a look at the Impact on the consumer section.
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Where can I find out more about DRM?
The Impact on technology industries section contains more information about DRM technology and its applications. The DEMOS section of the site contains explanations, links and demonstrations from some of the technology companies involved in DRM.
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What is a TPM?
TPM stands for Technical Protection Measure. This term describes technologies that allow music, publishing and video companies to secure and protect their content from unauthorised use. TPMs can be used to allow a limited degree of private copying, where such copying can be considered as part of the normal or 'fair' use of the work. The Impact on technology industries section contains more information about TPM technology and its applications.
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How can DRMs and TPMs help me as a consumer?
By using Digital Rights Management technology, Technical Protection Measures, or a combination of both, consumers can be safe in the knowledge that they are accessing content with the full permission of the rights holder. Also, because this content originates from an authorised source, it is likely to be of superior quality than content that is copied and distributed illegally.
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How can DRMs and TPMs help me as a rights holder?
As a rights holder, TPM and DRM technology can give you control over who accesses your content, and how it is to be used - even down to how much a user has to pay to access your work. These technologies are a tool that allows rights holders to remain in control of their work, even when it is available around the world to anyone who has access to a computer. By using technology, rights holders no longer need to rely on collecting societies to act on their behalf - you can do it yourself, quickly and simply.
To see some examples of how TPM and DRM technology can work for you, visit the DEMOS page.
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