Canada may have lost an earlier attempt to add a levy to memory sales to compensate for revenue lost to unauthorized music copying, but it hasn't given up. Now Canada's Private Copyright Collective is working to add a levy to memory cards, iPods, and other portable music players, according to Canada.com.

The group is arguing that the iPod and similar media players should be considered recording devices and subject to Canada's Copyright Act. The group already collects a levy on blank CDs and cassette tapes sold in Canada and then distributes the money to recording studios so that artists can receive additional royalty payments. Claudette Fortier, chair of the Private Copyright Collective, sees digital music players in the same light as CDs and tapes.

She commented "It is simply a matter of fairness that the creators of content, the creators of culture actually, should receive some compensation for the large volume of unauthorized and uncontrollable copying onto these media. Private copying is a fact - Canadians do it."

The group is now asking the Copyright Board to add a CA$5 levy on music devices with up to 1GB of storage, $25 for devices with 1GB to 10GB, $50 for devices with 10GB up to 30GB, and $75 for devices over 30GB. The levy would raise the price of a 30GB iPod in Canada 26 percent from $290 up to $365.

In addition to the new levy for MP3 players, the group is also asking for levies between $2 and $10 for the digital memory cards commonly used in cameras and also found in some music players. It also wants an increase in the $0.21 and $0.77 levies on CD-R Audio discs, CD-RW audio discs, and MiniDiscs.

Canada's Copyright Board will review the requests later this year.