No Duplex-Tariffing for Scanners in Austria

Copyright levies on Scanners in Austria are based on the number of scans that can be made per minute. As of 1 April 2013, however, the duplex-function of some of the more specialized products will not be included in the tariffing anymore. This is an important success in negotiations for the Austrian Industry, significantly supported by K&L GmbH.

Duplex-Scanners are able to scan double-sided originals with one scan; they usually have two line-sensors for the front and the back of the paper. For the calculation of the copyright levies this means a doubling of the scan speed – and therefore in many cases a tripling of the levy burden. The highest tariff in Austria is at the moment nearly 400 € (per device) and, by the way, this is about 40-times more the levy in Germany for the same devices. Calculated with duplex-function, this would especially affect the powerful and expensive devices. These are mainly sold to professional users, not to private end customers. As a rule, with those professional scanners no private copies liable to compensation are made.

Against the background of these reasons, the Austrian Collecting Society for Reprography, Literar Mechana, has now revised her previous position. Even a special agreement for the calculation of scanners has been made, which does not consider duplex-function for tariffing anymore. In connection with customer projects, K&L has been working for some years towards this practical and reasonable decision, both in negotiations with Collecting Society as well as in numerous discussions with companies and the Austrian Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, we notice as a positive signal that the Literar Mechana does not permanently block such proposals.