Musk's X sues music publishers over alleged licensing conspiracy

X Corp filed a federal lawsuit in Texas against 18 major music publishers and the National Music Publishers' Association, alleging they conspired to block competition and force industrywide licensing. The complaint says the publishers represent more than 90% of U.S. copyrighted music.

X Corp filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Texas on Jan. 9, 2026. The complaint names 18 major music publishers and the National Music Publishers' Association. It alleges those parties conspired to block competition and force X to accept industrywide licensing terms at inflated rates. The filing reports the publishers represent more than 90% of U.S. copyrighted music. Key points: - X alleges publishers refused to negotiate individual licensing deals and denied X the ability to acquire U.S. musical-composition licenses on competitive terms. - X says publishers sent weekly takedown notices, and that X removed thousands of posts and suspended more than 50,000 users, which it says harmed its user base and advertising revenue. - The complaint asks the court to restore competitive conditions in music licensing and to compensate X for lost advertising revenue. - The filing follows earlier litigation in which X won dismissal of most claims in a 2023 lawsuit brought by a group of publishers; that earlier suit sought more than $250 million in damages. Summary: The complaint frames the dispute as an antitrust matter about licensing practices and seeks remedies including restored competitive licensing and monetary relief for advertising losses. No court schedule or next procedural step was stated in the filing. Undetermined at this time.