A group of 17 record companies representing some of the biggest names in the industry filed one case against Twitter von the accusation of violating theirs Copyright: The claim is $250 million.
The lawsuit, filed in Tennessee federal court, alleges that the company “gets rich off countless illicit copies of musical compositions, infringing on the exclusive rights of publishers and others under copyright law.”
Record companies against Twitter over $250 million for copyright infringement
The lawsuit also lists about 1,700 songs that publishers say they have repeatedly reported to Twitter without any action from the company. Asking the court to fine Twitter up to $150,000 for each infraction.
The problem is not new and dates back to before Musk’s $44 billion acquisition of Twitter last year. The New York Times cites unnamed sources who say Twitter has opted out of entering into a music licensing agreement due to its high cost, which could exceed $100 million annually.
The lawsuit makes no reference to movies uploaded to Twitter in recent months, such as copies of The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Avatar: The Way of Water that sat online for hours before being taken down The Verge reports. Instead, some of Musk’s tweets are quoted. Like when Musk stated that “the DMCA [Digital Millennium Copyright Act ] excessively rigorous is a calamity for humanity”.
The lack of agreements with the world of music
Unlike other large social networks, Twitter has not entered into agreements with music publishers and labels, as evidenced by the lawsuit citing TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat. Even if the discussion between Meta and the Italian SIAE they make it clear that, even when there are agreements, not everything always goes for the best.
Twitter has not commented on the lawsuit, and since it was filed, neither Musk nor new CEO Yaccarino have discussed the matter.