WTO digital tax freeze in spotlight as India, others rue lost revenue

MADURAI, India -- A moratorium on taxing digitally transmitted products, from movies and music to software and industry data, faces a critical juncture this week at a World Trade Organization conference in Abu Dhabi.

India, Indonesia and South Africa are among the key skeptics of the moratorium, which has been in place since 1998. Opponents of the policy say it denies emerging economies a valuable source of revenue while benefiting advanced countries. Those in favor insist it keeps prices reasonable for consumers and enables the spread of digital services worldwide.