Propagation: MySpace now MurdochsSpace

[denny]

This is doing the rounds:



Original text:

Users of MySpace should be warned, that the site (owned by Mr Murdoch, i.e. 'The Tabloid Press') has changed its terms and conditions so that now they have the right to use anything you display on the site in any way it chooses, for as long as they like, even after you have deleted it from your profile.

"non-exclusive, fully-paid and royalty-free" worldwide license and sub-licensing rights "to use, copy, modify, adapt, translate, publicly perform, publicly display, store, reproduce, transmit, and distribute" any matter posted by its users, including "messages, text, files, images, photos, video, sounds, profiles, works of authorship, or any other materials".

"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,"

See this article in The Register: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/05/03/myspace_terms/

Comments

[uberredfraggle.livejournal.com]

Bugger. THat is bad news especially for bands and films(clerks2) that have already put stuff up. I wonder if Kevin Smith knows about this.

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

Didn't know he'd posted stuff on there. Yeah, I was thinking there's gonna be a lot of pissed off bands if they weren't paying attention.

I wonder if it back-applies to content posted on there before the conditions changed but not removed yet. I bet it does.

[uberredfraggle.livejournal.com]

Most likely. I have just emailed the link to viewaskew to make sure.

/fangirl

[ev1ldonut.livejournal.com]

They would certainly argue that it does. However, I believe they'd be open to legal action if they didn't inform all users of their intent to change the Ts&Cs, and give them time to remove any material that they didn't want the new terms applied to.

[uberredfraggle.livejournal.com]

Especially over material that is already copyrighted like Clerks2 or songs lyrics.

[ev1ldonut.livejournal.com]

Yup, exactly.

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

The T&C grant a license though, which is exactly what you do with copyrighted materials.

They'd probably have a hard time in court if they tried to commercialise something that was already clearly commercialised by its owner though, you're right. It's unsigned bands and unpublished authors that want to be really wary.

[uberredfraggle.livejournal.com]

Myspace: they'll steal your thoughts and turn you EMO! :p

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

Hah! They've changed the conditions back in the last couple of days. I knew I should have double-checked before I re-posted it.

[ev1ldonut.livejournal.com]

So they have. I expect The Register may ahve had something to do with that. They do still ahve the little clause in there about how their terms may be "modified" from time to time and that you agree to these changes, whatever they are, when you first sign up. :/

I'd still tell people to stay well away from it myself...

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

The Register article is dated today... I'm surprised, they usually check their facts better than that.

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

I'd still tell people to stay well away from it myself...

Well yeah, it's myspace. :-P

[ninjagirl.livejournal.com]

They do still ahve the little clause in there about how their terms may be "modified" from time to time and that you agree to these changes, whatever they are, when you first sign up. :/

which makes this bit even more worrying..


"Even after Membership is terminated, this Agreement will remain in effect.."


So, by signing up, you agree to anything the Myspace T&Cs say, and are changed to say, and still agree to it if you're no longer a member there. yay.

[ninjagirl.livejournal.com]

i'm so confused.

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

But we love you anyway.

[ev1ldonut.livejournal.com]

Basically...

using myspace = bad

not using myspace = good

Read stuff other people post, sure, just don't use it yourself and you'll be fine. :)

[hythloday.livejournal.com]

It's worth noting that just because the T&C says it's so does't making it so.