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News Corp. Encroaching On MySpace

Naysayers will claim they saw it coming: MySpace users are starting to feel "as if their space is being invaded," now that the social network's parent, News Corp., has imposed new limits. For example, gone are the days when users could embed anything they wanted using software tools from third-parties. "MySpace will now only allow you to use MySpace things," said one irate blogger, a singer who was informed this weekend that she could no longer sell items or advertise using third-party software.

Justin Goldberg, chief executive of Indie911, the label representing the singer, says, "We find it incredibly ironic and frustrating that a company that has built its assets on the back of its users is turning around and telling people they can't do anything that violates terms of service." He said the company should now change its name to "FoxSpace" or "RupertSpace."

Indeed, the newspaper wonders whether the extension of such corporate control will ultimately prove to be MySpace's undoing. "Every attempt made to try to dictate what a person's Internet experience will be has ended up coming up empty," warns Fred Wilson, a venture capitalist.

Read the whole story at The New York Times »

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