Boycott Ringophone
Posted by Pongball on 03/01/05 02:50 AM

There are hundreds, if not thousands of websites on the Internet that are hosting video game MIDI files without the sequencers' permission, and often giving them no credit at all. As a sequencer, this is just something I've learned to accept and live with. However, when I stumbled upon a website the other day that's actually selling our hard work for a profit, I was pretty furious. Meet Ringophone, one of the biggest scums of the Internet today. I recognize almost all of the "ringtones" in their polyphonic video game ringtone section from VGMusic.com. They've taken MIDI files directly from this and other websites without any sequencers' permission, given no credit to the sequencers whatsoever, and are selling them for $0.99US each. I can tell you that the sequencers of the files certainly aren't seeing any of that money, considering that one of my sequences is there.

So, what can we do about it? Unfortunately, sequencers who reproduce other people's music as a hobby have no real legal rights over their reproductions. It looks like the only thing we can do is give this website a bad name and try to get people boycotting it. If you feel strongly about this, send Ringophone a letter telling them how you feel (use this address: [You must log in to view emails]). Please don't send anything malicious such as viruses or anything that would be classified as spam. Tell them that what they're doing is wrong and that you don't appreciate it one bit. Post this news on your webpage or blog and spread the word that this website is taking advantage of sequencers everywhere. And whatever you do, don't buy anything from them.