Social platform Twitter is being sued for $250 million by The National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) over claims that it enabled copyright violations of an estimated 1,700 songs.
Consisting of over 17 global music publishers, including Sony Music Publishing and BMG Rights Management, the NMPA filed the lawsuit at the Federal District Court in Nashville, Tennessee and claimed that the Musk-owned business “permits and encourages infringement” for profit.
Additionally, the association expressed that Twitter’s infringements have given it an “unfair advantage” over other social media apps that pay for music licenses, such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
The NMPA also believes that Musk’s acquisition of Twitter in October 2022 “has not led to improvements in how it acts with respect to copyright.”
It also blamed the infringements on the scrapping of "critical departments involved with content review and policing terms of service violations" and the resignations of trust and safety chiefs.
The social media platform "stands alone as the largest social media platform that has completely refused to license the millions of songs on its service," NMPA President, David Israelite, shared in a statement.
Twitter Faces Eviction in Colorado Office Over Rent Issues
The lawsuit is the latest setback facing Twitter this week. On Tuesday, the social media company also faced eviction from its Boulder, Colorado headquarters after failing to pay rent (totaling over $75,000) for three months.
The judge who approved the eviction ruled that Twitter must leave their spot by the end of July.
Additionally, the company is facing another lawsuit from its San Francisco landlord for unpaid rent, and the city of San Francisco is looking into potential violations regarding its headquarters.
The news comes over a week after Linda Yaccarino took over the role of CEO at Twitter, replacing Musk as he focuses more on the company’s product design and new technology.
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