Elon Musk–owned platform X has filed an antitrust lawsuit against major music publishers and the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), accusing them of colluding to force industrywide music licensing deals.
X claims this behavior denied the platform fair competition among publishers.
According to the lawsuit, the NMPA and its members allegedly misused the DMCA by sending thousands of copyright takedown notices every week starting in 2021. X says the mass notices were meant to pressure the company into accepting blanket licensing agreements rather than negotiating individually.
The filing follows years of legal conflict between X and the music industry. In 2023, the NMPA sued X for $250 million over alleged copyright infringement, though both sides reported progress toward a settlement in late 2025.
X is now seeking damages and a court order to stop collective licensing demands.
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