German government seeks hardware tax

According to the Berliner Zeitung, the German government wants to levy as much as a 30 percent tax on almost all computer and telecommunications equipment as well as Internet applications. The tax would, if passed, go to pay artists including writers, filmmakers and musicians whose materials are frequently copied and distributed using the Internet and computer equipment. A fee of 38 to 306 euros ($34 to $275) already applies to German photocopiers, fax machines and scanners. If the Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament, passes such a law, it could lead to an exodus of computer firms from Germany, according to analysts.

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