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[P-freak]

What do you think?

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Billy Bragg has dramatically taken his music off his MySpace site after accusing the site of exploiting musicians by taking away their rights.

In a posting on his site he says media mogul and owner of MySpace Rupert Murdoch actually owns any music that is posted on the social networking site.

"Sorry there's no music," he posted "Once an artist posts up any content (including songs) it then belongs to MySpace (aka Rupert Murdoch) and they can do what they want with it, throughout the world, without paying the artist."

According to the small print on the site by posting content an artists agrees to: "Hereby grant to Myspace.com a non-exclusive,fully-paid and royalty-free, worldwide license (with the rights to sublicense through unlimited levels of sublicensees) to use, copy, modify, adapt, translate ,publicly perform, publicly display, store, reproduce, transmit and distribute such content on and through the services."

Myspace spokesperson Jeff Berman said: "Because the legalese has caused some confusion we are at work revising it to make it every clear that MySpace is not seeking a license to do anything with an artist's work other than allow it to be shared in the manner the artist intends. Obviously, we don't own their music or do anything with it that they don't want."

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Phonefreak - Lemon Tree - 10th June

www.myspace.com\phonefreakmusic

[Larsen B]

Well that's that resolved.

[Biz]

Myspace is great, how else would I get my music heard world wide for free?
It has also helped me locate old chums and make new friends.
I will get bored of it and take up knitting.
But I will go and see a few bands first.

[black_matter]

that's pretty cool how there's a little myspace link right at the bottom for self promotion!

[KatyS]

well - i find it hard to imagine Billy Bragg really liking myspace anyway, due to it's owner.
ever listened to the track "it says here" ie..

"If this does not reflect you view you should understand
That those who own the papers also own this land
And they’d rather you believe
In coronation street capers
In the war of circulation, it sells newspapers
Could it be an infringement
Of the freedom of the press
To print pictures of women in states of undress"

etc

i think myspace has more use for small unsigned or bands signed to indie labels anyway.

[Davey_sc]

Originally Posted by KatyS

i think myspace has more use for small unsigned or bands signed to indie labels anyway.

Agreed. It's been useful for us.