Spanish consumers will soon be saddled with an anti-piracy tax on media devices, including the iPod. The government-mandated charge applies to a range of media-focused devices, specifically those capable of storing, playing, recording, or copying sounds and images.

According to Billboard, the levy will go into effect July 1st, a deadline that follows months of heated debated between rights holders and device manufacturers.

In many cases, the surcharge amounts to mere cents, depending on the specific device in question. Manufacturers will have the option of passing those charges to the consumer, or absorbing the cost themselves. The levies will then be redistributed to various collecting societies, and taxation percentages will be calibrated to produce a specific, aggregated contribution.

Story by news analyst Alexandra Osorio for www.digitalmusicnews.com.

Permalink: http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/062308spain