Billy Bragg is still dedicating his time to reading the small print the rest of us ignore. Having forced MySpace to change the terms and conditions of its music service, because ambiguity in the small print suggested MySpace had certain rights to music posted by bands on their site, Mr Bragg has now turned his attention to the terms operated by the music service of rival site Bebo.
He reckons similar ambiguities exist in their small print, and he took the site's founders - Michael and Xochi Birch - to task about it during a live webchat on the Media Guardian website earlier this month. That web exchange led to a meeting between the singer and the web community company, and as a result of that their music terms will now be changed to clarify that registered bands hold on to all the rights of music they post on any Bebo pages.
Bragg welcomed Bebo's changes, telling reporters: "Social networking sites are a revolutionary tool for new artists who utilise them in order to gain a following. Any ambiguity about the ownership of rights could have serious implications not only for artists but for the sites themselves. If this new medium is to attain its full potential, it is crucial that artists are able to post content secure in the knowledge that doing so will not hinder their future career and earning potential."