For those of you who use Myspace to promote your bands

Received from Billy Bragg's press office. Watch yourself if you are
putting your own music on Myspace! "Someone who we work with was bright enough to read the small print
of the MySpace terms and conditions and found that once an artist
posts up any content (including songs). it then belongs to My Space
(AKA Rupert Murdoch) and they can do what they want with it.
throughout the world without paying the artist. Because of this
we've had to take all of Billy's songs down. I'm working on getting
small clips put up instead. Below is the offending clause. We are hoping to start a small
revolution (in true Bragg style) to try and put a stop to this. You
can do your bit by posting out a bulletin to all your friends. and badgering Tom with e-mails letting him know how unfair
this clause is (not least because you can't hear Billy on here
anymore! Thanks for your help and support. The amazing thing about My Space
is how fast we can all communicate so if we all do our bit we
should be able to change this.
Quote:
"By displaying or publishing ("posting") any Content. works of
authorship. or any other materials (collectively. "Content") on or
through the Services. you hereby grant to MySpace.com. fully-paid and royalty-free. worldwide license (with
the right to sublicense through unlimited levels of sublicensees)
to use. and distribute such Content
on and through the Services. This license will terminate at the
time you remove such Content from the Services. Notwithstanding
the foregoing. a back-up or residual copy of the Content posted by
you may remain on the MySpace.com servers after you have removed
the Content from the Services. and MySpace.com retains the rights
to those copies."


"you hereby grant to MySpace.com. fully-paid and royalty-free. worldwide license (with
the right to sublicense through unlimited levels of sublicensees)
to use. and distribute such Content
on and through the Services."
Sounds like they can potentially take your music and do whatever they want
with it without asking for permission. I'd really hate to see my stuff in
car commercial or a Jeb Bush campaign ad without my say-so.
This may not be a big problem now. they are acquired by BMG
or Time Warner? "The Services" could be extended to mean ANY wing of the
conglomerate. Not cool.
Conservatives are not necessarily stupid.
but most stupid people are conservatives."
- John Stuart Mill

it's a question of my little advertising page being appropriated for
some purpose of which I have no prior approval. I certainly wouldn't want to
see my mug on some "Vote Republican" billboard. just because I posted my pic
on Myspace.
Even the shittiest band in the shittest recording contract as a "yes/no" say
over what products they will endorse.
If that's NOT what they intend to do. then it wouldn't take much for them to
slightly alter that clause. If that's not what they intend to do...
Conservatives are not necessarily stupid.
but most stupid people are conservatives."
- John Stuart Mill