In 2023, a lawsuit was initiated alleging that X facilitated numerous instances of copyright violations.
A lengthy legal dispute between X and prominent music publishers has reached a quiet resolution. According to court filings from both X and the group of music publishers, each party has decided to withdraw their respective lawsuits, although the specifics of the settlement remain undisclosed.
The conflict originated in 2023 when a coalition of music publishers led by the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) filed a lawsuit against the social media platform, which was then known as Twitter. This lawsuit, amounting to $250 million, alleged that the platform ignored widespread copyright infringements carried out by its users, making it one of the few major social media outlets without a licensing agreement with music publishers.
In retaliation, Twitter, now rebranded as X, filed a counter-suit nearly three years later. X accused the music publishers of engaging in anti-competitive behavior, attempting to force the platform into licensing their music at inflated rates. Prior to the recent dismissal of both lawsuits, X requested that the court dismiss the case, asserting that it should not be held liable for user-generated copyright violations.
Thus far, neither party has elaborated on the reasons for the dismissals. However, court documents indicate that X and the music publishers have asked for the suits to be dismissed “with prejudice,” ensuring that they cannot be refiled in the future. We are awaiting a response from NMPA for further clarification on this matter.
