Article Summary:

dpreview.com reports that the mandatory 30 minute recording time on digital cameras may be changed is the scope of the World Trade Organization’s Information Technology Agreement (ITA) is expanded. Currently, the cut-off is used to avoid digital cameras being re-classified as video cameras which have a higher rate of duty. The changes may well be “a slow and highly politicized process”, but it would seem that the proposal to discuss changing the ITA’s frames of reference has been broadly welcomed. With many cameras, the recording time limits imposed are actually due to the FAT 32 file size limit of 4Gb or to control camera overheating issues, rather than to avoid customs classification.