--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, new.morning <no_reply@> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > I've never been to MySpace, and I'm sure > > > it's fun, but just as an advisory, you > > > should probably look into the agreement > > > you signed to join up before posting any- > > > thing there you might later want to publish > > > yourself. The "fine print" says that MySpace > > > (that is, Rupert Murdoch) owns the rights > > > to anything posted there. > > > > That sounds odd. I am not challenging you, I am quite interested > > in this. But I am a little skeptical. Where did you come across > > this: from an article or blog that quoted the relevant parts of > > the agreement? Or from some bar or dinner converstaion story / > > punchline? Or other source? > > > > Thanks. > > It's been debated and talked about all over the Internet. > I think I first saw it in a discussion forum started by > the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation). Don't have time > to look up the details right now; if you do, I'm sure a > few Google clicks would find it for you. There is always > the possibility that these sorts of things are an over- > reaction or a hoax, but since the initial furor some > months ago I have never seen any followup suggesting > that this one is.
However, if you had gone to look at MySpace.com's Terms of Service (link at the bottom of the home page), you'd have known for sure what the fine print said, wouldn't you? And then you wouldn't have risked misleading anybody with inaccurate information. There *was* a furor some months ago at the original wording of the TOS, but according to MySpace's spokesperson, it was a misunderstanding, and the TOS has been revised to clarify. In any case, there was *never* any question of My Space claiming *exclusive* rights to the material; you appear to have made that up. The original TOS said explicitly that MySpace was claiming *nonexclusive* rights. Here's a bit from the New York Daily News from June 6, with a quote from the original TOS: ----- ...Popular English songwriter Billy Bragg claims the MySpace.com "terms of service" give Murdoch's minions the right to exploit their content as they see fit. Bragg has deleted his tunes from his MySpace.com page, which offers this explanation: "SORRY THERE'S NO MUSIC," because "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." The troublesome fine print informs users that by posting any content, "you hereby grant to MySpace.com a NON-EXCLUSIVE, fully-paid and royalty-free, worldwide license (with the right 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." [emphasis added] Sounds dire. But Myspace.com spokesman Jeff Berman says not to worry. "Because the legalese has caused some confusion, we are at work revising it to make it very 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," Berman says. "Obviously, we don't own their music or do anything with it that they don't want." http://tinyurl.com/jtg5w ----- In a previous post, I quoted the current TOS, which explains *why* MySpace claims the rights it does. Looks pretty benign to me, and appears to validate just what Berman told the Daily News. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> See what's inside the new Yahoo! Groups email. http://us.click.yahoo.com/2pRQfA/bOaOAA/yQLSAA/UlWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
