MySpace Reclaims Mobile's URL

12/01/08 4:56pm

by Kate Harper (CHARTattack)

Mobile's manager has accused MySpace of stealing the band's MySpace URL without permission.

Don Affleck says the Montreal group received a message from MySpace on Nov. 19 that said the website would reclaim their URL in order to make the site better and that they'd have to choose a new URL within 48 hours. Affleck says it happened because Mobile's URL was too similar to the URL (www.myspace.com/myspacemobile) for MySpace Mobile, the company's new cellphone service.

"The band's url WAS: www.myspace.com/mobile --- so they're not even
using the band's actual url!!," said a message from Affleck on the Hypebot website. "They just couldn't stand to lose any eyeballs during their marketing roll-out of their wonderful new service!!!

"So now, after 2 years of the band authentically building and nurturing relationships online, Team-Myspace click-fucks the band out of their url.

"NOW I understand why music lovers AND musicians are migrating away from Myspace and onto Facebook, Bebo etc. -- TRUST -- there can be no trust in a place that can takeover one's address at will -- how would a community service survive if users knew that at any moment their little plot of cyberspace could be stripped away?!?"

Mobile have since relocated their MySpace to myspace.com/mobiletheband. MySpace hasn't responded to Affleck's comments, but have redirected the band's former URL to their MySpace Mobile page.

Mobile released their sophomore album, Tales From The City, in October. You can see them play songs from it at these shows:

Dec. 4 Saguenay, QC @ Bar Le G-21
Dec. 13 Mont-Tremblant, QC @ Mont-Tremblant Resort
Dec. 18 Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre w/The Trews