[cr-india] Sony Ericsson's W980 -- a mobile FM transmitter?

[sajan venniyoor]

Sony Ericsson has released its W980 'walkman' phone, which has a
built-in FM transmitter, "which allows you to send whatever's playing
on your phone to other devices with a built-in FM radio receiver",
according to their press release. According to one review, "The signal
strength of the W980 is really good, even outperforming some dedicated
FM transmitting devices we have seen."

Now, how legal is that? If I remember, they had to amend the Ofcom
regulations in UK to make the iTrip legal over there. "Mana Radio" in
Oravakkal (AP) had come to grief over an FM transmitter not much more
powerful than the one in the W980 (Vickram would know).

And how about copyright / royalty issues involved in sending
'whatever's playing on your phone to other devices', when PPL demands
its pound of flesh for in-store music or playing tracks at a public
swimming pool or an amateur theatrical production?

Moreoever, the W980 is a 'mobile FM transmitter' by any definition of
the phrase, and that's strictly prohibited under the CR / FM policy.

Sajan