The UFC-Que Choisir throws a paving stone in the pond.
The Consumers Association joins the ranks of opponents to the application of the private copying levy (RCP) on refurbished smartphones.
She announced this Monday that she seized the Council of State.
The UFC wants to overturn the decision of the Commission for private copying, which sets up a new scale of royalty on the mobile phones and tablets reconditioned.
Determined to block the establishment of this fee, the association also calls on the deputies to mobilize.
Thursday, June 10 must be passed in the National Assembly the law to reduce the carbon footprint of digital.
Article 12 provides that refurbished devices are not subject to private copying remuneration.
The UFC also calls for "
unreserved support for the amendment by deputy Éric Bothorel - unanimously adopted by the Commission for Sustainable Development and Regional Planning of the National Assembly - forcing the government to do so. transparency on the current operation of the remuneration mechanism for private copying
”.
"Frenzied lobbying"
The consumer association also denounces the "
frantic lobbying of collective management organizations to tax reconditioned mobile phones and tablets, as remuneration for private copying
".
Last week, 1,661 artists signed a forum to defend this royalty.
They feel that their rights are threatened.
However, last year the RCP brought in 273 million euros to the beneficiaries.
This weekend, the actors of the repackaged also published a column, in which they estimate that 2,500 jobs would be threatened.
Read also: Private copying levy: the actors of the solidarity economy are stepping up to the plate
Finally, the UFC-Que Choisir comes to dispute the figures put forward by Copie France. Indeed, according to the consumer association, which analyzed the prices of more than 3000 refurbished smartphones, "
the median selling price of these terminals is around 190 euros
". Or half less than the sum advanced by Copie France to justify the amount of the royalty. Another inconsistency denounced by the UFC, the very unequal nature of this tax, the amount of which depends on the memory capacity of the device and not on the price. "
As the tax for private copying hits devices indifferently according to their selling price, the inflationary effect would be all the more violent for modest consumers
," adds the UFC Que Choisir.
“
These price increases for refurbished goods would be all the less acceptable as the scales applied to new mobile phones and tablets are already in France among the highest in Europe. For example, on a mobile phone with a capacity of 32 GB, the remuneration for private copying is 10 euros in France, compared to 6.25 euros in Germany, 5.20 euros in Italy or even 1.10 euros in Spain, a country which, moreover, does not apply the remuneration for private copying on refurbished devices. Consequence of this "voracity" of rights holders in our country: French consumers pay on average 76% more than the European average
, explains the UFC-Que Choisir. Finally, she denounces the functioning of the Private Copying Commission,
hand-sewn to defend the interests of rights holders. It imposes on consumers tax scales established on the basis of usage studies that are both obscure - because not made public - and dated, and therefore unsuitable to take into account rapid changes in usage, such as the use of audio streaming
" . A charge in order that may cringe some teeth, especially on the side of the government. Jean Castex sided with the Minister of Culture. The Prime Minister has arbitrated in favor of the application of the DRC to repackaged products, against the advice of some of his ministers.