In quick succession, Denmark, Estonia and Latvia one after another significantly expanded the scope of copyright levies. With the corresponding legal changes, the countries' levy systems now cover all commercially available devices and storage media. The aim is to generate higher revenues for rights holders. The new regulations already apply in Latvia and will apply in Estonia starting from 1 April. In Denmark, the reform is only planned for the next year, but special agreements are foreseen for the time period dating back to 2018.
For these three countries, the new developments represent a real upheaval. Until now, only some conventional, not to say obsolete, storage media and only very few devices were subject to levies. With levies on smartphones, tablets and laptops, important gaps will now be closed. It is these devices that are used to access or store music, films, images or texts. By contrast, the storage of these copyrighted works on CDs, DVDs or USB sticks is decreasing.
The situation is different in Lithuania and Sweden. Both countries have always been charging levies on a wide range of products, ranging from the usual storages to many consumer electronics devices. In Lithuania, reprographic equipment, i.e. printers, copiers and scanners, are also subject to levies. Nevertheless, Sweden fundamentally revised its levy system again in 2020. A framework agreement was concluded with the industry associations that sets tariffs and payment obligations for manufacturers, importers and distributors. New tariffs and tariff levels were agreed upon in a binding manner, as were backlogged claims by rights users against the companies. In addition, controversial tariffs being discussed up until then were clarified. For example, for smartphones and game consoles.
Notwithstanding the current developments, the Nordic countries still approach the issue of remuneration for private copying very differently: Iceland and Finland abolished device-based levy systems only a few years ago in favor of state funds financing compensation. Norway has always relied on this type of remuneration. This solution is controversial, as it compensates for the permitted but private use of copyrighted works by the general public. In view of current developments, it does not seem inconceivable that these countries will also reintroduce a levy system.
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