Making Money With Musical Ring Tones

You know that favorite tune stored as a ring tone on your cell phone? The recording industry stands to make bundles of money for those ring tones under a new Copyright Office ruling.

The office decided that most ring tones are subject to royalties under the compulsory licensing system of copyright law. The recording industry said the decision helps inject clarity into the music marketplace.

A communications analyst said the market for musical ring tones could have bottomed out without the move. But groups that represent songwriters and music publishers said the royalties could hurt an important new technology income scheme for them.

The tech-related news this week also featured discussions about anti-terrorism surveillance, border security, media consolidation and spectrum for emergency personnel. Listen to the podcast for details.