Path: utzoo!utgpu!utstat!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cmcl2!nrl-cmf!think!cs.utexas.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!texbell!vector!telecom-gateway From: kanner@apple.com (Herbert Kanner) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Beeps During Conversation Recording Message-ID: Date: 15 Nov 89 19:55:19 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Organization: Development Systems Group, Apple Computer Lines: 40 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 512, message 8 of 12 In article iiasa!wnp@relay.eu.net (wolf paul) writes: >X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 509, message 1 of 13 >langz@asylum.SF.CA.US (Lang Zerner) writes: >> In article John Tsang > uhcc.hawaii.edu> writes: >> >[The only "drawbacks" to certain Panasonic answering machines is] >> >the annoying beep during 2-Side-Conversation-Recording. >> As for the beep while recording a conversation, well, it may be >> annoying, but in the United States it is the law. >But with the prevalent tort climate in the US, the only way the >manufacturer of an answering machine/recording device can ensure that >he will not be held liable for illicit recording is to supply this >beep. >Of course, in my opinion the manufacturer should not be liable for the >illegal use a consumer may make of the product, but the courts in the >US seem to be of a different opinion, as evidenced by a number of >ridiculous decisions along these lines. It is interesting to note, in view of the above, that of the following list of machine brands that I have owned (and in most cases returned to the store) only the Panasonic emits the beep. AT&T top of the line machine Northwest Bell machine with time/day stamp Cobra with time/day stamp Record-a-Call (model over five years old) Panasonic with time/day stamp Herb Kanner Apple Computer, Inc. {idi,nsc}!apple!kanner kanner@apple.com