Twitter is getting sued by 17 separate companies – such as Sony Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group and Warner Chappell Music – for over $250 million in alleged copyright infringement.
According to a lawsuit obtained by Music Business Worldwide, the companies are seeking "up to $150,000 per work infringed" for roughly 1,700 pieces of music. The lawsuit claims that other social media platforms have entered into licensing agreements that allows users to utilize music in their posts, but Twitter has not.
"There is a vibrant existing market for social media companies to pay fees for the use of musical compositions," reads a portion of the lawsuit's introduction. "Social media companies behind such well-known platforms as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat have entered into agreements with Publishers and other rights holders that compensate creators of musical compositions for use of their works on those platforms.
"There are also dynamic existing markets for individuals to receive streams and downloads of music, including recordings embodying Publishers’ musical compositions, outside the context of social media. Twitter’s conduct complained of herein harms these legitimate markets, thereby depriving Publishers and their songwriters of hard-earned, deserved income from their creative endeavors."
The lawsuit also claims that Twitter's use of music is driving their popularity and engagement, saying "Twitter profits handsomely from its infringement of Publishers’ repertoires of musical compositions. The audio and audio-visual recordings embodying those compositions attract and retain users (both account holders and visitors) and drive engagement, thereby furthering Twitter’s lucrative advertising business and other revenue streams."
Hopefully some of that $250 million will go to the royalties lost from songwriters, and not just to the companies, their boards, and the lawyers. The Verge also points out that the lawsuit doesn't even tackle the fact that people are uploading entire movies to the platform now that there's basically no policing of content whatsoever.
