Twitter faces a $250 million lawsuit for alleged copyright infringement by music publishers.

Twitter Faces $250 Million Lawsuit for Alleged Copyright Infringement

The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) has taken legal action against Twitter, accusing the social media giant of allowing users to post copyrighted music without permission. The NMPA filed a lawsuit in Nashville, Tennessee, seeking $250 million in damages for what it claims is “massive” copyright infringement involving around 1,700 songs.

Music Labels Join Forces Against Twitter

The NMPA is alleged copyright infringement by music publishers.”>representing 17 major music labels, including Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, and Sony Music Publishing. These labels represent some of the biggest names in the music industry, such as Katy Perry, Rihanna, Drake, Adele, and Taylor Swift. Together, they argue that Twitter has been profiting from the availability of unlicensed music without paying the necessary licensing fees.

Unlike YouTube and Facebook, Twitter has not entered into licensing agreements with music publishers, making it vulnerable to allegations of copyright infringement. The NMPA claims that Twitter not only permits but also encourages the unauthorized use of musical compositions on its platform.

Twitter’s Internal Affairs in Disarray

The NMPA’s lawsuit also criticizes Twitter’s handling of copyright matters since its change in ownership in October 2022, referring to Elon Musk’s acquisition of the company. The association alleges that Twitter’s internal affairs related to this case are in disarray, suggesting a lack of improvement under Musk’s leadership.

As of now, Musk has not publicly responded to the lawsuit filed by the NMPA.

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