The private copying levy on refurbished devices cancelled! What will it change?


Mathieu Grumiaux

December 20, 2022 at 11:35 a.m.

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smartphone © Pexels / Antoni Shkraba

© Pexels / Antoni Shkraba

The Council of State has removed the application of this tax and could lower the price of refurbished smartphones by a few euros.

According to media information The Informedthe private copying tax will no longer apply to refurbished smartphones in a few weeks.

A contested measure since its entry into force

In November 2021, second-hand phones were indeed included in the devices concerned by this tax, and the introduction of the measure had created controversy.

As a reminder, the private copying levy was originally a measure that allows rights holders to receive a few euros on each device or storage medium (CD, DVD, etc.) through which it is possible to consult a cultural work, such as a movie or album.

The very existence of this tax is questionable in 2022. Consumption habits have changed, and streaming is now the way to consume culture on high-tech devices. Very recently, an ARCOM study highlighted the rise of different streaming platforms as well as a significant drop in piracy.

Private copying levy canceled by February, but expect no refund

On a refurbished smartphone, this fee amounted on average to 9 euros added to the price of the device, and this, while the tax had already been paid for the first time by the initial owner of the phone. The application of this tithe was seen by its opponents as a brake on the purchase of refurbished devices, while this booming market is also an excellent thing to improve the durability of devices and avoid unnecessary purchases with significant consequences. on the environment.

The public rapporteur of the Council of State had, in his report, recommended the abolition of private copying for refurbished telephones, and today, the Council of State is following this recommendation. The tax will be canceled on the grounds of a simple formal defect. The article of The Informed thus explains that the commission responsible for applying the scales was incomplete during the vote held last year, with in particular the absence of consumer representatives.

This deletion will take effect on 1er February 2023. Be careful however, the cancellation is not retroactive. To avoid the processing of dozens of disputes by Copie France, the company responsible for collecting this tax, no refund will be possible for consumers who have purchased a smartphone in recent months.

Source : The Informed



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