You just may be an IP violator every time your phone rings.
The ASCAP wants you to pay money every time your phone rings and it plays a protected tune even if you purchased the ring tone. Why? Because every time your phone rings you are publicly performing the tune.
What nonsense so-called “intellectual property” has become. By protecting other peoples ideas and arrangements from the rigors of the free market through copyright and patent law the government has essentially created a monopolistic monster that seeks to endlessly unleash itself against consumers that do no harm to their actual property or their name. Rather than being grateful there are people out there promoting their work the production companies who license artists’ material pursue actions which intend to harm the consumer. To me this seems like a terrible business model. In fact it is and it’s why they are becoming so ruthless. It’s an irrational, yet predictable, reaction from a government protected industry being forced to find alternative ways to make money that include “adding value and connecting with fans” that would encourage the consumers to spend their hard earned cash on something that actually provides value.
Fortunately, there are artists like Coldplay and Trent Rezor who are trailblazers for alternative business models to these old and decrepit ways of doing business. As the business models that do not include filing lawsuits that burden single mothers millions of dollars in legal bounties become more rewarding for those pursuing them the more the industry as a whole will catch on and realize that harassing their customers is no longer the best way to approach this so-called “problem”. Unfortunately, it will probably take a long time for these companies to realize before they finally have a change of heart, but it will no doubt crumble upon itself in time.
