Elon Musk's X escapes majority of lawsuit over copyrighted songs

Elon Musk X lawsuit: Billionaire Elon Musk-owned social media platform, X, emerged victorious in a legal battle on Tuesday, as US District Judge Aleta Trauger in Nashville, Tennessee dismissed the majority of a lawsuit brought by 17 music publishers. These publishers alleged that X had infringed upon copyrights for nearly 1,700 songs by permitting users to share music without proper authorisation.

The lawsuit targeted X, which Musk acquired for $44 billion in October 2022, accusing the platform of facilitating copyright infringement by allowing users to post music without obtaining necessary permissions. Judge Trauger's ruling rejected the notion of "comprehensive general liability for infringement" against X, dismissing two infringement claims and limiting a third claim for "contributory" infringement. However, exceptions were made for allegations related to X's handling of "verified" users and repeat infringers, as well as delays in responding to takedown notices.

Representatives for the music publishers have yet to comment on the ruling, while Alex Spiro, a lawyer representing X, declined to offer a statement.

Among the plaintiffs were major music industry players such as Sony Music and Universal Music, who, through the National Music Publishers' Association, sought damages exceeding $250 million. They argued that X's practices of overlooking copyright violations gave it an unfair advantage over platforms like Facebook's Meta, YouTube, and TikTok, which properly license music.

Judge Trauger's decision, detailed in a 21-page ruling, clarified that X cannot be held directly liable for infringement under federal copyright law, as the platform merely provides a space for user-generated content. Additionally, she rejected claims of "vicarious" infringement, stating that X isn't obligated to police user content or secure copyright permissions in advance.

In her ruling, Trauger emphasised that while X has influence over its users, this doesn't equate to them acting as agents or subordinates of the platform. Music publishers, she noted, represent songwriters' copyrights rather than the songs themselves.

The case, titled Concord Music Group Inc et al v X Corp, was heard in the US District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, under case number 23-00606.

(With Reuters inputs.)