diff --git a/beat/web/common/testutils.py b/beat/web/common/testutils.py
index c44f68a4cbcf135c1a2755f6c2a0afaf98a4328d..22f9599ee70e732fdffc3330182e8411c996f037 100644
--- a/beat/web/common/testutils.py
+++ b/beat/web/common/testutils.py
@@ -55,19 +55,19 @@ class BaseTestCase(TestCase):
 
 
     def checkObjectDBSharingPreferences(self, contribution, reference):
-        if not(reference.has_key('status')):
+        if 'status' not in reference:
             reference['status'] = 'private'
 
-        if not(reference.has_key('shared_with')):
+        if 'shared_with' not in reference:
             reference['shared_with'] = []
 
-        if not(reference.has_key('shared_with_team')):
+        if 'shared_with_team' not in reference:
             reference['shared_with_team'] = []
 
-        if not(reference.has_key('usable_by')):
+        if 'usable_by' not in reference:
             reference['usable_by'] = []
 
-        if not(reference.has_key('usable_by_team')):
+        if 'usable_by_team' not in reference:
             reference['usable_by_team'] = []
 
         if reference['status'] == 'public':