From: Enzo Michelangeli <enzo@ima.com>
Date: Tue, 1 Aug 95 19:53:49 PDT
To: Richard Martin <rmartin@alias.com>
Subject: Re: Stopped at the boarder
In-Reply-To: <9508011001.ZM17072@glacius.alias.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.91.950802104951.15600B-100000@ima.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


On Tue, 1 Aug 1995, Richard Martin wrote:

> Until a few years ago, carrying software across the border from the states
> to Canada, one would only pay duty on the value of the media. Canadian
> Customs regulations did not recognise any value in the information
> contained on the floppies. I haven't actively exported/imported software
> in this manner recently (well, I carried 2.6ui to Mobile and back without
> realising it (or, indeed, ever putting it in a drive) and so broke ITAR)
> so I'm not sure how things stand currently.
> 
> I think they might actually have been convinced of the value of software.
> [Department of External Affairs and International Trade has been, as noted
> earlier. Danger of software, at least.]


As far as I know, under current GATT regulations software is not
considered a commodity, and therefore its import does not attract customs
duties. However, I'm not sure about the actual behaviour of the US
customs; from recent cases I can confirm that in the European Union and
South Africa that rule is respected.