If you've ever wondered what the Entertainment Consumers Association actually does, here's your answer -- in an attempt to combat a proposed tax on digitally distributed content and games in a number of states, the ECA is mobilizing its troops in an "action campaign" against these taxes. Specifically, the group will be rallying its members in Washington, Mississippi and New York to protest DLC tax bills that are currently working their way through their respective state legislatures.
In an email to ECA members residing in Washington state, the organization's redundantly named president, Hal Halpin, pointed out the unconsidered negative effects of such a tax, saying it will "suppress consumption, which will cause layoffs at effected businesses, including the video game industry, which employs many Washington residents." We can't wait to see what protest tactics the ECA employs in Microsoft's home state -- folk music? Cosplay? We're betting on rampant property destruction -- after all, it's not a Washington protest until you bust up a few Starbucks.
Reader Comments (21)
Posted: Feb 25th 2009 6:56PM (Unverified) said
Have to pay for all the government union members benefits somehow
Reply
Posted: Feb 25th 2009 5:27PM Offensive Bias said
While I'm not in the mood to pay anymore for my map packs and extra game content, think about the amount of revenue a state gets from software. Now think about how quickly the game's industry is shifting to digital distrubution. An enormous tax stream is drying up without something to replace it. This legislation is just going to bring digital distribution back in line with brick and mortar purchases.
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Posted: Feb 25th 2009 5:30PM Michelobius said
Except, um, aren't I already paying taxes on downloadable content? I seem to remember paying $10.73 on Flower off the PSN, not $9.99 as it originally said. I guess I don't understand what this bill proposes.
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Posted: Feb 25th 2009 5:32PM Offensive Bias said
I thought it depended on the state. When I lived in Washington I didn't buy much online content but now in my new state when I bought Half-Life 2 for $49.99 or whatever, that's what was charged to my account.
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Posted: Feb 25th 2009 5:39PM Professor Lario said
Also think about the gross mismanagement of most state's budgets!
Reply
Posted: Feb 25th 2009 5:41PM Courtney said
In most states, it depends on whether the retailing online body has a physical presence in the state (a retail store, headquarters, warehouse, etc).
This is very similar to the problem of taxing cross-state internet sales of physical goods. My primary problem with it is that retailers are charged with having to carry the burden of tracking 50 separate state taxing laws and possibly local taxing laws as well. For my business, I only have to comply with one state, and even that gets complicated at times. These attempts to create a nation wide sales tax ignore the cost and manpower necessary to collect the taxes.
While it may be inevitable that such an tax exists, it needs to be coordinated and simplified across all 50 states so that small retailers and software developers are not driven out of online business due to the cost and complexity of compliance.
Reply
This is very similar to the problem of taxing cross-state internet sales of physical goods. My primary problem with it is that retailers are charged with having to carry the burden of tracking 50 separate state taxing laws and possibly local taxing laws as well. For my business, I only have to comply with one state, and even that gets complicated at times. These attempts to create a nation wide sales tax ignore the cost and manpower necessary to collect the taxes.
While it may be inevitable that such an tax exists, it needs to be coordinated and simplified across all 50 states so that small retailers and software developers are not driven out of online business due to the cost and complexity of compliance.
Posted: Feb 26th 2009 4:14AM (Unverified) said
Put in a military mailing address and you don't get taxed.
Reply
Posted: Feb 25th 2009 6:04PM (Unverified) said
ECA actually stands for Entertainment Consumers Association, rather than Electronic Consumers Association.
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Posted: Feb 25th 2009 6:33PM (Unverified) said
Hah! This story must be incorrect, we just elected legislators who are looking out for the little people. There's no way they would seek to penalize us, the little people, with more taxes. Someone get on the horn with the King, there's no way a Wii-loving King would allow something like this to happen!
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Posted: Feb 26th 2009 2:15AM (Unverified) said
Are you lost, kid?
And here I was, pleased to see an adult discussion about taxes going on in the comments above.
News flash: the "little people" don't have consoles, son. There's been 1 current-gen console shipped to the US for roughly every eight people. That's 1 for every 8 Americans, assuming that every single one of them was sold, is still in use, and there is no overlap (only console per household).
Steam has 20 million users. XBox Live - 17 million. PSN - 20 million+. Those are international numbers, by the way. This is a luxurious minority.
So are you seriously whining about paying a few extra dollars to have the luxury of entertainment software sent to your house through wires, millions of bytes a second, and assembled in your home? WAAAH I'm being penalissssed!
Honestly, what a spoiled brat.
Reply
And here I was, pleased to see an adult discussion about taxes going on in the comments above.
News flash: the "little people" don't have consoles, son. There's been 1 current-gen console shipped to the US for roughly every eight people. That's 1 for every 8 Americans, assuming that every single one of them was sold, is still in use, and there is no overlap (only console per household).
Steam has 20 million users. XBox Live - 17 million. PSN - 20 million+. Those are international numbers, by the way. This is a luxurious minority.
So are you seriously whining about paying a few extra dollars to have the luxury of entertainment software sent to your house through wires, millions of bytes a second, and assembled in your home? WAAAH I'm being penalissssed!
Honestly, what a spoiled brat.
Posted: Feb 26th 2009 4:16AM (Unverified) said
Since you like paying extra taxes so much, will you pay mine?
Fucking douche
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Fucking douche
Posted: Feb 26th 2009 5:33AM (Unverified) said
I'm afraid that's not how taxes work, lil' Johnny.
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Posted: Feb 26th 2009 5:38AM (Unverified) said
Besides John, it seems from the above comments that before posting your request, you mentioned a way to cheat the system (unless of course are actually serving your country in the military), so what exactly is your problem, you foul mouthed little freeloader? *tousles hair*
Reply
Posted: Feb 26th 2009 9:47AM (Unverified) said
Yes, I'm in the military.
I'm also for cheating "the system" since "the system" doesn't seem to give two shits about most people.
And seriously, fuck taxes.
Reply
I'm also for cheating "the system" since "the system" doesn't seem to give two shits about most people.
And seriously, fuck taxes.
Posted: Feb 25th 2009 9:35PM Frylander said
I sent in the letter, and was suprised to see a reply the next day in my inbox:
Dear Mr. Fry,
Thank you for your email in opposition to House Bill 2075. I appreciate your thoughts on this issue and will keep your position in mind as the bill moves through the system.
Again, thank you for taking the time to share your position with me.
-Mark
________________________________________________________
State Representative Mark Ericks, 1st District
Ways and Means Committee Vice Chairman
Washington State House of Representatives
John L O'Brien Building, Room 203 |PO Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504-0600
Reply
Dear Mr. Fry,
Thank you for your email in opposition to House Bill 2075. I appreciate your thoughts on this issue and will keep your position in mind as the bill moves through the system.
Again, thank you for taking the time to share your position with me.
-Mark
________________________________________________________
State Representative Mark Ericks, 1st District
Ways and Means Committee Vice Chairman
Washington State House of Representatives
John L O'Brien Building, Room 203 |PO Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504-0600
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