Space spat.

Only days before L.A.-based Universal Music Group sued MySpace.com, claiming that the popular social networking Web site infringes on the copyrights of thousands of its artists, MySpace announced it was launching a tool that would allow copyright holders to easily remove content that they believe is unauthorized. The tool, tested by Fox Studios and MLB Advanced Media Inc., allows copyright-holders to flag user-posted video content that they believe is unauthorized. MySpace would then remove those videos in order to comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and block re uploading of the videos by other users.

Both of these developments can be traced to the inability of Universal Music Group to work out a deal with News Corp., which owns MySpace, and its chief executive, Rupert Murdoch.

It had appeared a deal, structured along the lines of Universal's arrangement with YouTube.com, was in the works. But when the music company insisted on back payment for material that had previously appeared on MySpace, the deal fell apart.

Murdoch delighted a recent gathering of News Corp. shareholders by describing his response in one New Jersey-tinged word: "Fuhgeddaboutit."

Staff reporter Dan Cox can be reached at [e-mail] or at [phone], ext. 230.