Twitter copyright infringement lawsuit: major music industry bodies seek $250 million

Twitter, the popular social media platform, is currently facing a lawsuit seeking $250 million in damages due to alleged copyright infringement.

A coalition of 17 music industry bodies filed the lawsuit in Tennessee, USA, including major publishers such as Sony Music Publishing, Universal Music Group, Warner Chappell, and BMG. This legal action comes as a result of Twitter’s failure to negotiate music licensing agreements with copyright holders. This sets it apart from other social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.

The court document from the lawsuit, as reported by Music Business Worldwide, describes Twitter as “rife with copyright infringement” and accuses the platform of knowingly hosting and streaming infringing copies of musical compositions. The lawsuit claims that Twitter has allowed the rampant use of music without securing the necessary licenses. It further asserts that Twitter continues to provide known repeat infringers with access to its platform, enabling further instances of copyright infringement.

In June, David Israelite, CEO of the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), expressed his views on the lawsuit. He emphasized that Twitter stands alone as the largest social media platform that has outrightly refused to license the millions of songs on its service. Israelite highlighted Twitter’s awareness of the vast amount of music being leaked, launched, and streamed by billions of people on its platform daily. He stated that Twitter can no longer hide behind the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and neglect its responsibility to compensate songwriters and music publishers.

Twitter’s ownership by Elon Musk, who acquired the platform for $44 billion last year, does not appear to have improved the copyright infringement situation. The $250 million lawsuit filed by music industry bodies aims to hold Twitter accountable for its alleged failure to obtain music licensing agreements. As well as its continued hosting and streaming of infringing musical compositions. As the largest social media platform refusing to license songs, Twitter must confront the consequences of its actions and support the rights of artists and copyright holders. The outcome of this lawsuit will have significant implications for the future of music on social media platforms and the enforcement of copyright protection in the digital age.

Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash