Cell Phone Ringtones Give Music Industry Another Headache

Posted by CmdrTaco on Sunday May 23, 2004 @03:43AM from the this-stuff-is-never-simple dept.

Alien54 writes "Xingtone's desktop software allows you to create mobile phone ringtones using digital audio files on your computer. As seen here, The software evokes the same ``oh wow, oh no'' reaction from the labels that greeted the original Napster. The fear is that people will make 30 second long ringtones out of popular songs, thus compounding the file-sharing problem while robbing the music industry of a new source of revenue. Many users find the technology quite cool. IANAL, but current copyright guidelines seem to permit fair use of "Up to 10% of a body of sound recording, but no more than 30 seconds". All of which should make for an interesting legal debate. I can hear the gnashing of teeth already."

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Re:Dude, seriously... by AmigaAvenger · 2004-05-23 04:50 · Score: 0, Flamebait

who mods this informative?? that analogy isn't even close. automakers restricting your own oil changes would be an analogy to the RIAA trying to prevent indy musicians, which is has done nothing of the sort.
good thing analogies are no longer on the SAT for this guy!
Re:Case for distinctive rings... by SomeGuyFromCA · 2004-05-23 05:07 · Score: 0, Flamebait

> distinctive rings offer the advantage of not having everyone in the room running to check their phones when a phone rings.

Also, where you can assign rings to specific phone book entries, you can tell who's calling without getting up.

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if the answer isn't violence, neither is your silence / freedom of expression doesn't make it alright