The private copying system, which establishes a levy on recording media such as blank CDs in return for the right to make personal, non-commercial copies of music, has long ranked as one of the most contentious aspects of Canadian copyright law. Consumers dislike paying what resembles a tax, retailers complain that it drives business out of the country, and artists doubt its effectiveness in light of the inexcusably slow rate of royalty distributions. While in theory the private copying system provides consumers with the right to copy and artists with appropriate compensation for that copying, it is time to acknowledge that the system has failed and must be dramatically reformed or scrapped entirely.
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