Billy Bragg: "Social Networks want the use of our music without having to pay for it"

From the NY Times via TechCrunch

"The claim that sites such as MySpace and Bebo are doing us a favor by promoting our work is disingenuous. Radio stations also promote our work, but they pay us a royalty that recognizes our contribution to their business. Why should that not apply to the Internet, too?"

So says Billy Bragg who is asking the founders of Bebo - where is a slice of the $850m USD pie for the musicians who drove traffic to your site.

Bragg has contributed this article - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/22/opinion/22bragg.html?_r=1&ex=1363924800&en=ba1c862ef4fc894c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin - to the NY Times which calls for more formal definitions of artists IP rights through emerging digital platforms.

The radio analogy isn't a bad one - I always assumed the social networks would pay some sort of royalty per play of an artists steam - however it seems that they don't.

I put this hypothetical situation out there - imagine tomorrow all of the bands/artists/musicians etc who were on myspace shut down their pages - I wonder what it would do to their bottom line and revenues ...

I have never liked Billy Bragg as a performer but he is completely on the money here.