Sony Music Entertainment (SME) has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against the University of Southern California (USC) over unauthorized use of protected music in social media content.

The lawsuit's key points:

• USC sports teams allegedly used copyrighted recordings in social videos without proper licenses
• Sony Music identified "hundreds" of infringing uploads across various USC accounts
• Affected content includes music from Travis Scott, Elvis, Tate McRae, Future, and Shakira
• Violations extend beyond major sports teams to smaller programs like rowing and Sports Performance
• Content was used commercially, violating social platforms' personal-use-only song licenses

Timeline of dispute:

• 2021: Initial notification to USC about infringement
• Early 2023: Additional notifications sent
• Summer 2024: Further discussions
• August 15, 2024: Parties entered statute of limitations agreement
• January 15, 2025: Settlement discussion period ended

Sony Music notes that USC continued posting infringing content even after receiving notifications. The lawsuit suggests potential additional litigation involving other record labels and music publishers who own rights to songs used without permission.

Similar recent cases include:

• Marriott International (settled)
• Brinker International (Chili's parent company)
• NBA teams
• American Hockey League teams

While USC has issued a statement contesting the lawsuit, many allegedly infringing videos remain publicly accessible on their social media platforms.

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