APM, a major production music company jointly owned by Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing Group, has filed a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson for alleged copyright infringement in the Central District of California.

Photo Credit: Wesley Tingey

The lawsuit claims Johnson & Johnson used APM's copyrighted sound recordings without permission in promotional videos across social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (now X), and YouTube. After discovering the unauthorized use earlier this year, APM reports that Johnson & Johnson refused to obtain licenses or acknowledge any wrongdoing.

APM seeks:

• Unspecified damages
• Injunction to stop further infringement
• Attorney's fees
• Up to $150,000 in statutory damages per infringed work

APM's catalog includes over 1 million tracks from production libraries such as Bruton, Cezame, KPM Music, Kosinus, and Sonoton. Their music has been featured in major productions like Westworld, Stranger Things, Game of Thrones, and SpongeBob SquarePants.

This case follows similar recent lawsuits against major U.S. companies, including a July 2023 action against several NBA teams by Kobalt Music Publishing and others for unauthorized music use in promotional content.

Related Articles

Previous Articles