Is Apple giving artists a raw deal?
'The Register' reports from San Francisco that SACEM, the rather conservative French society of composers, music creators and publishers, plans to sue Apple for failing to compensate artists over the iPod.
Coincidentally, Apple's amazing music player is right now the object of an inescapable advertising campaign all over Paris. You can scarcely set foot in the street, let alone the Métro, without seeing the posters.
'Under a French law passed [getting on for] two years ago, hard disk players are subject to a levy that goes to compensate royalty holders. Sacem (...) says Apple has failed to comply, and will sue for back fees," Andrew Orlowski writes in 'The Register'.
I've mentioned before that not only such players but also "virgin" audio CDs, DVDs and every other object the French can make extra cash from to pay royalties are subject to a tax, a factor to be taken into account when it comes to the music copying debate here.
The story was "wired" by the Associated Press ('French group seeks royalties on iPod'; 'The Globe and Mail', tech):
"...unless Apple settles its growing account, the agency that collects the payments 'will have no other option than to go immediately to court to make sure that the rights of artists, composers and producers are respected.' (...)
The levy on a top-of-the range iPod, which retails at 550 euros ($677 U.S.) at French department store FNAC, would come to 20 euros ($24.63). Sacem estimates that Apple sold 20,000 iPods in France last year, with disk capacities ranging from 10GB to 40GB.
In 2003, the society collected some 150-million euros ($185-million U.S.) in levies on hard disks and blank media sales on behalf of artists and other rights holders."
As one of the 20,000 people concerned, I'd have no objection to paying the levy if SACEM is right. Such levies are not the best solution to theft by file-sharing, but the artists should get their dues.
With appropriate links, 'The Register' also has it that:
"Last year Apple Computer quietly removed [Downhill Battle] a claim on its iTunes Music Store that the service was 'fair to artists'. Major label deals can leave artists indebted for years ['The Problem with Music' at Negativland']."
11:27:49 AM link 
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