Complaint Shall Be Lodged Against Use of Unlicensed Mobile Phone Ringtones.

Taipei District Prosecutor’s Office states that telecommunications or communication companies shall first obtain economic rights holder’s consent and reproduction right, or authorization of other relevant rights before providing mobile phone ringtones involving copyrights to mobile phone users for users’ downloading or for public sale.

Mobile phone ringtones downloading is pervasive among consumers, especially certain music ringtones, while such downloading leads to a rush for public sale among telecommunications or communication companies by running advertisements in the media and setting up websites or pay phones. The prosecutor in charge of relevant cases stresses that many telecommunications or communication companies provide mobile phone users with ringtones downloading service and collect fees for such service so as to offer users more selections of music ringtones without obtaining music production company’s consent or licensing beforehand, and thus violate paragraph 1, Article 91 of the Copyright Law. (2004.7)

CYJ/CCS