mocoblog

Mobile phone music-sharing rises amongst children

I’d like to see the RIAA, (record companies, etc) stop this. Technically illegal, the “sharing” of music over a phone-to-phone Bluetooth network is increasingly popular amongst children. This uses the same technology used to sync your pda to your PC, and receive digital business cards (if not by sync cable or infrared).

Thank the phone manufacturers for building this technology into their devices; curse the wireless carriers in the US for removing the same technology from the devices. (that means you Verizon.)

BPI: “Swapping songs via Bluetooth is a concern for the industry, it hasn’t caused the same problems as illegal p2p filesharing. This is because it’s copying on a one-to-one, rather than one-to-millions basis.”

Robert Hart, co-founder of Intuitive Media, agrees, claiming that mobile phone file sharing is a great opportunity for the music industry. “Children are the best source for word of mouth and this would be a good opportunity for record companies to use this as a means of viral marketing,” he said.

What’s next? The pressuring of the RIAA and like bodies to Bluetooth.org for a copyright flag?

It’s the recording industry which needs to adapt. Clearly consumers are adapting with the technology. The record companies only see the problem when the technology becomes ubiquitous (high speed internet, cd recorders, and now Bluetooth.)

Keep sharing.

Read: Computeract!ve