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Industry trade bodies have applauded the European Parliament striking down an "undemocratic" proposal to apply a cultural flat tax rate on all internet users, but have urged vigilance to stop it being brought back.
The flat rate, which was supported by the Austrian Green Party among others, suggested a tax on all web users, with funds administered by a collective body and disbursed to rights-holders to compensate for copyright breaches.
A joint open letter from Fergal Tobin, president of the Federation of European Publishers (FEP), and European Booksellers Federation president John McNamee, supported its defeat, claiming the proposal was unfair and "inconsistent with the principles of democracy and a free market economy".
Tobin said it was a question of applying eternal vigilance to ensure that the proposal did not resurface. "Any of these ideas, once floated, has a chance of gaining traction," Tobin told The Bookseller. "The current system works well. It is fair and proportionate. This [proposal] is a blunt instrument that would penalise people."