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[PSUs]
Friday 1st September 2006
Bragg sets sights on MTV's Flux for fair usage terms 11:36AM, Friday 1st September 2006
Billy Bragg's campaign against websites' claims on material submitted to them by their users continues apace with an attack on MTV's new Flux TV channel.

MTV Flux launched this month and invites aspiring musician to upload songs and videos which may then be shown on the channel. The singer-songwriter is concerned that by submitting their work, musicians may lose all rights to it for good.

The channels terms and conditions state: 'You agree that MTVNE has the right and licence to transmit your photo, animation, video clip, sound recording, or other material uploaded by you (your "Material") ...in perpetuity and gratis. MTVNE also has the right to commercially
 
 
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exploit, host, store, copy, distribute, modify, edit, incorporate into other material and/or otherwise treat in any way your Material at its discretion without any payment to You. In particular, you agree to waive all moral rights to the Material.'

In an article for The Guardian, Bragg said this raises a serious question.

'Such terms are unprecedented in the music industry and could have serious long-term implications,' he wrote. 'It may be that any artist who breaks via the MTV Flux set-up might find that, years later, MTV has some claim to residual rights in their material or else have the use of it for life of copyright, without any payment to the artist, "in perpetuity and gratis".'

Bragg has asked MTV to alter its T&Cs so that they make clear that the artists retain ownership of the material.

Social networking sites Bebo and MySpace both altered their conditions following appeals from the singer.

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