The following is a copy of what I sent to Apple at the behest of iTunes technical support when I asked why I am expected to pay for ringtones:

Charging extra to turn an ITMS purchase into a ringtone is one thing, preventing users from putting music they already own on their iPhone as a ringtone is entirely another.

I’m sure it’s the record companies driving the former — though I’m sure Apple doesn’t mind the revenue generated by charging someone twice the amount for the privilege of hearing a 30 second clip of a song when someone calls them.

But the latter — preventing a user from using a song they already own (or, for that matter, wrote and performed and recorded) as a ringtone is entirely a money grubbing move that encompasses of all the worst aspects of the software and music industries today. My Windows Mobile devices trivially allow me to set any mp3 I want to be my ringtone. Likewise, my Palm Treos trivially allow me to set any mp3 I want to be my ringtone.

And yet, the supposedly most advanced phone yet does not. It makes me choose from a selection of songs available on the iTunes Music Store, pay twice what I would pay for the *whole* song so that I can use a 30 second clip as a ringtone.

The sad thing is that there are enough trust fund kids out there that will just shrug and pay it so they can have the latest “fiddy cent” ringtone. So be it. But, without question, this move has forever tarnished Apple, and I, for one, will not be paying a single penny toward this asinine “feature”.

But, I need to make sure you at least comprehend this much: my Windows Mobile device allows me greater freedom of how I use it than my Apple iPhone. Does that make you even a little sad? It should.