Overview
- Filed in Texas federal court, the case names the National Music Publishers’ Association and 18 publishers, including Universal, Sony, and Warner Chappell.
- X alleges the publishers, representing over 90% of U.S. copyrighted music, refused individual deals to force industrywide licenses at inflated rates.
- The complaint claims the NMPA and publishers “weaponized” DMCA takedowns, prompting the removal of thousands of posts and suspensions of more than 50,000 users.
- X seeks unspecified damages and a court order requiring publishers to negotiate individually and restore competition in music licensing.
- The NMPA rejects the claims as meritless, noting X is the only major social platform without song licenses, following a 2023 infringement suit that partially survived in 2024 after near-settlement talks in November 2025.