X Sues Major Music Publishers and NMPA Over Alleged Antitrust Collusion

Overview

• Filed on January 9 in federal court in Texas, the complaint targets 18 publishers including Sony Music, Universal Music, and Warner Chappell, along with the National Music Publishers' Association.
• X alleges the defendants, representing over 90% of U.S. copyrighted music, acted through the NMPA to block competitive, one‑to‑one licensing deals with the platform.
• The filing says publishers sent weekly takedown notices hitting thousands of posts, leading to removals and more than 50,000 user suspensions.
• X claims these actions harmed its user base and advertising revenue, and it asks the court to restore competitive licensing conditions and award damages.
• NMPA president David Israelite called the suit meritless and said X is the only major social platform without music licenses, while X says some publishers have signaled openness to individual negotiations.