A group of music publishers is suing Twitter for $250 million, alleging that the social media platform has failed to police its users for copyright infringement adequately.
The lawsuit, filed by the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA), claims that Twitter users have uploaded and shared copyrighted songs and music videos on the platform thousands of times without permission from the copyright holders. The NMPA says that Twitter has benefited from this unauthorized use of music but has done nothing to stop it, as reported by Engadget.
The lawsuit claims that Twitter routinely disregards known repeat infringers and known infringements, refusing to take simple steps available to Twitter to stop these specific instances of infringement of which it is aware. "The reality is that Twitter routinely ignores known repeat infringers and known infringements, refusing to take simple steps that are available to Twitter to stop these specific instances of infringement of which it is aware," the lawsuit claims.
According to the lawsuit, verified users are now sharing a large number of offensive tweets, and Twitter will probably take action against verified accounts. According to the lawsuit, Twitter suspended almost none of the verified accounts identified in the NMPA Notices, which have sizable follower bases. Twitter treats them more favorably, considering verified accounts with huge follower bases to be more valuable and monetarily viable than unverified accounts with small follower bases.
The lawsuit seeks damages of $250 million, as well as an injunction requiring Twitter to take steps to prevent future copyright infringement.
Twitter has not yet responded to the lawsuit.
No Response Yet From Twitter
The lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal challenges facing Twitter over its handling of copyrighted content.
The NMPA's lawsuit is a sign that music publishers are increasingly taking a hard line against social media platforms that fail to protect their copyrights. As more and more people use social media to share music, it is likely that we will see more lawsuits like this one.
What Does This Mean for Twitter Users?
The NMPA's lawsuit is a reminder that it is illegal to upload or share copyrighted music on social media without permission. If you are caught doing this, you could be sued by the copyright holder.
It is important to note that the NMPA is not suing Twitter users. Instead, it is suing Twitter for failing to stop its users from infringing on copyrights. However, if Twitter is found liable in this lawsuit, it is possible that the company could take steps to crack down on users who upload or share copyrighted music.
If you are a Twitter user who wants to share music, it is important to do so in a way that respects copyright law. You can do this by obtaining permission from the copyright holder or using a service allowing you to share music legally.
