• teawrecks@sopuli.xyz
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      4 months ago

      ToS was the wrong term. Artists agree to a contract when they monetize their content on Spotify. The contract specifies exactly what the artist will be paid for. If the artist was misrepresenting facts in order to be paid more than the contract would otherwise stipulate, it’s called fraud, and that is a crime.

      Artificial streams are not new. Spotify has many articles dedicated to describing the problem of artificial streams, and the penalties for artists engaging in it. Here are One, Two, Three of them just from a single search.

      This is a loophole in the same way that taking stuff when the owner isn’t looking is a loophole. In other words, it’s just called a crime.

      • ravhall@discuss.online
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        4 months ago

        I provide places with my name misspelled all the time. That’s misrepresenting, but not a crime.

        A billion dollar company got played. Change the code and pay out the money. Are they going to refund advertisers? Doubt it.

        • teawrecks@sopuli.xyz
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          4 months ago

          You’re not entering a contract with those people, let alone being paid. If believe you’re getting paid in an untracable, your govt would like a word with you.

          I don’t know why you think the company got played, did you read the article? Dude is busted. Best case, they’re going to garnish his income for the rest of his life.