Letter: Tapers are copying music they have already paid for

THE British Phonographic Industry's statement that it loses pounds 140m every year through home taping is ludicrous ('Tape levy threatens newspapers for the blind', 22 August). Most taping is of records/CDs already owned by that person for their personal stereo/car etc. People I know who home tape create their own compilation tapes, so the copyright owner will already have received a royalty.

Undoubtedly there are people who do tape records/CDs which they do not own. However, I cannot believe that there are many who tape when they could buy, unless they cannot afford to do so.

If blank tapes did not exist the increase in income for the music business would be minimal. The BPI's figures are disingenuous because it wants a levy, and who can blame it? Any industry would jump at the chance of having a special tax on consumers, collected by the Government and handed to it on a plate for doing nothing at all.

Stephen Beckett

Birmingham