Music publishers and Elon Musk‘s X have ended their copyright and antitrust legal battle in a surprise settlement. The agreement brings an abrupt end to one of the most closely watched disputes between the social media industry and the music business after more than a year in federal court.
Music publishers and Elon Musk’s X have reached a settlement in their copyright and antitrust lawsuits
On July 16, X and the publishing arms of Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment agreed to “stipulate to dismissal of all claims,” according to reports. The publishers agreed to dismiss the copyright lawsuit with prejudice, meaning the claims cannot be filed again. Joint filings were submitted in federal courts in Tennessee and Texas, bringing both lawsuits to a close.
According to reports, the court filings submitted on July 16 show that both sides voluntarily dismissed their respective cases. However, neither side has disclosed the terms of the settlement.
The copyright lawsuit dates back to 2024, when a group of 17 music publishers, led by the National Music Publishers’ Association, sued X in Nashville. The publishers sought more than $250 million over the alleged unauthorized use of their music on X. They claimed infringement of nearly 1,700 copyrights. According to the lawsuit, X was the only major social media platform that declined to sign a blanket licensing agreement. The agreement would have covered music shared by users.
After settlement talks broke down in late 2024, X launched a legal counterclaim in January. Elon Musk’s company sued the NMPA and several major music publishers, alleging antitrust violations. X claimed the groups colluded to create an unlawful monopoly. It also alleged they used hundreds of thousands of copyright takedown notices after the platform rejected their licensing demands.
Because the parties reached a settlement, the antitrust case did not advance far enough for a judge to rule on its merits. As a result, the court never issued a ruling on the case.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK THE SETTLEMENT IS A WIN FOR THE MUSIC INDUSTRY OR FOR X?
Originally reported by Manasvi Gupta on Mandatory.
