SUISA is taking legal action against Twitter/X for alleged copyright infringement. Photo Credit: Rubaitul Azad
In a show of support for artist rights, the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) filed a $250 million copyright infringement lawsuit against Twitter/X back in June. Now, SUISA has joined the fight by submitting a copyright complaint of its own against the social media platform.
Zurich-based SUISA revealed the legal move, filed specifically by SUISA Digital Licensing in the Munich I District Court, in a brief statement. The lawsuit is a result of “repeated attempts to license X for more than half a year,” as described by the plaintiff entity’s century-old parent organization.
These licensing attempts involved “several emails,” with only one receiving an “automated reply ” featuring “standard text which simply pointed to a contact form for rightsholders to notify copyright infringements,” per SUISA.
Represented by Cologne law firm Lausen Rechtsanwälte, SUISA has stated that “a considerable number” of its works continue to be available on Twitter/X despite the absence of a licensing agreement. However, the society also indicated that it’s unable to identify the precise extent of the alleged infringement, and therefore, the amount of damages.
“We have yet to calculate the exact amount [allegedly owed by Twitter/X over infringement],” SUISA commented. “Unfortunately, we currently lack the necessary information. One of the demands of our lawsuit is therefore that Twitter International discloses X’s turnover and streaming figures in full and without any gaps. We will use these figures to calculate the actual amount of compensation owed.”
As of now, Twitter/X hasn’t addressed SUISA’s complaint via its official blog. However, SESAC president of international Alexander Wolf affirmed the organization’s full support for SUISA.
Moreover, the NMPA lawsuit against Twitter/X remains unresolved since August, and Twitter/X isn’t the only social media platform facing infringement claims. Epidemic Sound sued Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, in the summer of 2022, leading to a legal battle that could head to trial next year.
Recently, Epidemic asked the court to strike two of Meta’s affirmative defenses, aiming to limit statutory damages for each infringed work. The misuse claim was described as “legally misplaced and inapplicable,” and the innocent infringement position was dismissed as having “no bearing whatsoever on Meta’s liability.”
Separately, Meta quietly settled a licensing dispute with Kobalt in September of 2022. In March of 2023, a dispute between the tech giant and the Italian Society of Authors and Publishers entered the media spotlight.