X sues music publishers, alleging collusion over licensing deals

X filed a federal antitrust suit in Texas alleging music publishers and the N.M.P.A. pressured it into blanket licensing deals; the publishers have a separate 2023 copyright suit against X that remains pending.

X filed a federal lawsuit on Friday accusing music publishers and their trade group, the National Music Publishers' Association, of conspiring to force it into licensing deals. The company alleges the groups used the copyright takedown process to pressure it into accepting blanket agreements at inflated rates. Music publishers say X allowed copyrighted songs on its platform without permission and sued X in 2023 over those alleged infringements. The 2023 publishers' case remains pending and some of its claims were narrowed by a judge in 2024. Key facts: - X filed an antitrust lawsuit in the Northern District of Texas alleging publishers and the N.M.P.A. colluded to push blanket licensing agreements. - The suit seeks unspecified damages and an injunction to prevent the negotiating practices described by X. - The N.M.P.A. and music publishers have a separate 2023 copyright lawsuit against X that remains pending; the N.M.P.A. called X's new suit meritless. Summary: The filing adds an antitrust claim to an ongoing legal dispute between X and the music industry and asks a court to block the negotiating practices the company describes. The publishers' 2023 copyright case against X is still pending and saw some claims narrowed in 2024. Undetermined at this time.