The Canadian fight over whether or not iPod purchases should include a “music tax” is back.

Canadian music industry representatives are re-opening an old debate about MP3 players that could see the average price of the devices climb by as much as $75. The Canadian Private Copying Collective, an association of composers, recording artists, publishers, and record labels is asking the Copyright Board of Canada to re-introduce a controversial extra fee into the sale price of MP3 players in Canada.

David Basskin, a member of the CCPC’s board of directors, said it’s time artists be compensated for the copying of their files onto the digital devices.

“We’d all like lots of things to be free,” said David Basskin, a member of the CCPC’s board of directors. “But those who create the music deserve to be compensated. When you go and buy an iPod, the retailer gets paid. So you can’t say that the people who make the music should get a free ride.”

The effort on the part of the CPCC comes just over two years after the Federal Court of Appeal struck down a similar levy attached to the price of the hard drives of MP3 players. At the time, these didn’t fall into the category of “audio recording media” because, unlike CDs and cassettes, they can’t be separated from the device that plays the sound on them. Under current legislation, the Copyright Board isn’t allowed to place a levy on a playing device like a CD or tape player.

via Canada.com