Pop Culture

New MySpace Accused of Using Songs From Independent Artists Without Permission

All bad.

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Complex Original

With music at the centerpiece of MySpace's recent relaunch (investor Justin Timberlake intends to bring the site's sexy back), the company is now coming under fire from UK agency Merlin who claims that MySpace relaunched without a license to feature music from several of its independent artists.

A MySpace spokesperson did, however, note that music from Merlin artists like Arcade Fire and Vampire Weekend was "likely" uploaded by individual users, assuring that the site would remove songs when requested.

But Merlin CEO Charles Caldas is not pleased. "I don't see ignorance as a justification for piracy," he said. "If you're offering music, without permission, that belongs to a copyright holder in a commercial environment, the onus is on you, the business, to make sure those rights are cleared."

[via Mashable]

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