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From: g-inners@GUMBY.WISC.EDU (Michael Inners)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: New Service in BetaTest at NJ Bell
Message-ID: <1094@gumby.wisc.edu>
Date: Mon, 19-Oct-87 07:34:50 EDT
Article-I.D.: gumby.1094
Posted: Mon Oct 19 07:34:50 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 21-Oct-87 06:10:13 EDT
References: <1692@aramis.rutgers.edu> <2149@ihuxv.ATT.COM> <1073@gumby.wisc.edu> <550@swlabs.UUCP>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: g-inners@gumby.wisc.edu (Michael Inners)
Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept
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Approved: telecom@xx.lcs.mit.edu


In article <550@swlabs.UUCP> jack@swlabs.UUCP (Jack Bonn) writes:
>
>In article <1073@gumby.wisc.edu>, g-inners@gumby.UUCP (Michael Inners) writes:
>> There is precedent for such a rule in that devices designed to record phone
>> conversations are required to emit a 'beep' tone to alert the other party.
>
>I this the case?  I thought it was only necessary when there was a chance 
>that neither party was knowledgeable about the recording device.  If either 
>party (me, if I'm operating the machine) knows it is operating, I thought 
>that no tone was necessary.

According to the Wisconsin Bell (Ameritech) people:

"If your conversation is being recorded for business or other reasons,
one of the following MUST apply:

All parties to the conversation must give their prior consent to the
recording of the conversation and the prior consent must be obtained in
writing or be part of and obtained at the start of the recording. Or,

A distinctive recorder 'beep' tone, repeated every 15 seconds, is required
to alert all parties when the recording equipment is in use."

It then gives a few exceptions for law enforcement, 911 numbers, and
broadcasters recording for rebroadcast.  

I also believe that the FCC requires that this beep tone be generated
by all FCC-certified equipment intended for direct connection to the
telephone network.
				-- Michael Inners