On Sun, Jul 08, 2001 at 12:35:06AM -0400, Matthew Emmerton wrote:
> > Richard Hodges wrote:
> > >
> > > Sure, no argument there. Taking Wes' suggestion, maybe there is an
> > > opportunity in the "official" distribution distinction. How about a
> > > "certificate of authenticity" which costs the vendors $1 or $2 (or
> > > whatever), and shows the customer that their choice of vendors helped
> > > FreeBSD financially. Incidentally, this certificate might also be a
> > > selling point for those twisted individuals that just don't understand
> > > free software :-)
> >
> > Now that's an idea, but it raises problems with shipping the
> "certificates"
> > across national borders, causing import duties, etc. Maybe if we made
> > the certificates in PostScript or even fig files. ;^)
>
> I'm not sure how much of a difference the "certificate" would make, as far
> as import duties goes. I live in Canada (Toronto, Ontario), and accoriding
> to new rules that came into effect on Jan 1/2001, my CDs (which are
> considered "computer programs, electronic media") are now subject to 5%
> duty, 7% GST, 8% provincial tax, plus a $5.00 handling charge by Canada
> Post. (So much for NAFTA!) So on a USD$30 set of CDs (CAD$45), that works
> out to be about $15 in taxes and fees due to the classification. I don't
> see how a "certificate" would change that for the worse. (Well, unless the
> discs started being shipped via UPS. Then I'd get dinged for a $20 handing
> fee instead of $5.)
>
> For those in Europe or Australia, I'm not sure what the import rules are,
> but I'm sure they already have to pay some sort of import duties, and I
> don't see how the inclusion of a certificate would change that for the
> worse.
Don't start.. I've paid import duties & taxes multiple times for shipments
of give-away CDs that jkh/WC sent over to our Dutch FreeBSD User Group
(NLFUG).
There also seems to be a special European import duty on any CDs
coming in from outside the EC. If you have ever seen the outrageous prices
on (music) CDs here you know why..
W/
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