Ring-Tone Barons? Japanese Record Companies Raided

PuceBaboon writes " The Asahi Shimbun is reporting that officers from the Fair Trade Commission raided several major record companies in Japan, including Sony Music Entertainment, Toshiba EMI and Avex, on suspicion of creating a monopoly for the purpose of maintaining artificially high prices on... telephone ring-tone tunes."

Comments

Stupidest Raid Ever.

[mumblestheclown]

The idea that you can have a monopoly on ringtones that the government should care about is patently stupid.

Let's say you owned the rights to all of the yellow tulips in the world. If you charged $1 billion each, should the government break down your doors and accuse you of price fixing?

Of course not. If you get the rights to all of the yellow tulips, all other colors of tulips are still available. For that matter, tulips compete against other flowers, etc.

Likewise, ringtones compete for your entertainment dollar along with countless other entertainment sources (psst--audio CDs too). To price them at anything but near what the market will accept is just stupid.

Now, that said (and I didn't RTFA) I'm guessing that this article is not about monopoly, but rather a price-fixing cartel like scheme. Big deal. Same rule applies. Dont buy ringtones if the price doesn't suit you.

It amazes me

[fermion]

that the same people who would never play a boom box in a public place, and would consider anyone who did ghetto, feel it is not only appropriate but necessary to randomly assault strangers with their vile taste in muzak.

The basics of manners are fundamental principles, not individual rules that must be torturously recompiled every time technology changes. I hear people complain all the time about the rap and hard rock and the like blaring from peoples cars and stereos. Well, if you want to help it stop, set an example. Don't subject the world to the din of Kenny G. Put your phone on the least offensive short ring, and when in a quiet place, put it on vibrate. You are more than welcome use the music when in the company of your gullible and easily impress technologically retarded friends. The rest of us know that is just a cry for attention. Get a life.