• 2 min read
X ends music lawsuit fight in quiet settlement
X and major music publishers have dismissed their dueling lawsuits with prejudice, ending a copyright fight that began in 2023.
Image: Engadget
A three-year legal fight between X and major music publishers has ended quietly, with both sides agreeing to dismiss their opposing lawsuits without disclosing the settlement terms, according to court documents cited by Reuters.
The dispute started in 2023, when a group of music publishers led by the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) sued the platform, then still known as Twitter. That $250 million suit alleged Twitter hosted thousands of instances of copyright infringement and failed to stop users from posting unauthorized music.
At the time, Twitter was notably one of the only major social media platforms without a licensing agreement with music publishers. Nearly three years later, Twitter — by then rebranded as X — filed its own lawsuit, arguing that the publishers were engaging in anticompetitive behavior that would force the company to license songs at higher rates.
Even before the latest filing, X had asked the court as recently as last month to dismiss the case, arguing it should not be held responsible for piracy by users. Neither side has publicly explained why both suits were dropped.
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What the filings do make clear is that both cases were dismissed with prejudice, meaning they are permanently closed and cannot be filed again. Engadget said it reached out to the NMPA for comment and would update the story if it hears back.
Culture Editor
Maya explores gaming, streaming, and the internet as a place where people actually live. From deep-dives into creator economies to the anthropology of digital communities, she tracks platform drama and cultural shifts so you don't have to. She believes the best tech stories are fundamentally about human behavior.
via Engadget
