Music publishers including Kobalt, Prescription Songs, and others are seeking to consolidate 13 copyright infringement lawsuits against NBA teams into a single case, with the Cleveland Cavaliers action serving as the lead case.

These publishers filed suits in summer 2023 against multiple NBA teams, including the Cleveland Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers, alleging copyright infringement in videos posted to TikTok, Instagram, and NBA.com. The NBA league itself is not named in these lawsuits.

Key points about the consolidation:

• Originally 14 cases, now 13 after the Atlanta Hawks reached a settlement agreement
• Defendants agree to consolidation for pre-trial proceedings only
• Publishers have requested a court conference to discuss the consolidation

This legal action is part of a broader trend of copyright infringement cases against brands using music on social media without proper licensing. Similar cases include:

• Beastie Boys vs. Chili's parent company (answer due February 3rd)
• Universal Music vs. Chili's owner (answer due January 27th)
• Associated Production Music's recently settled case against American Hockey League teams

The cases highlight an important distinction: social media platform music licenses typically cover personal use only, not professional or commercial applications.

Related Articles

Previous Articles