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FinanceMusk's X and major music labels end legal dispute over music use on platform
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A group of major music publishers, including Universal Music Group and Sony Music, have agreed to end a legal dispute with Elon Musk's X Corp over the use of their music on the X social-media platform, according to federal court filings. The parties asked a Tennessee federal court to dismiss the labels' 2023 lawsuit accusing X of infringing hundreds of copyrights by allowing users to post songs without a license, and a Texas federal court to dismiss X's countersuit alleging antitrust violations. The dismissals are with prejudice, meaning the claims cannot be refiled. The original lawsuit sought over $250 million in damages for alleged infringement of nearly 1,700 copyrights. In 2024, a judge dismissed much of the lawsuit but allowed a contributory infringement claim to proceed. X had countersued in January 2025, accusing the publishers of refusing to negotiate individual licensing deals. Spokespeople did not immediately comment on whether the dispute was settled.
Source report
By Blake Brittain Fri, July 17, 2026 at 7:14 AM PDT | 2 min read
A group of major music publishers, including Universal Music Group and Sony Music, have agreed to end a legal dispute with Elon Musk's X Corp over the use of their music on the X social-media platform, according to federal court filings.
Legal Actions Dismissed
X Corp and the music labels jointly asked a Tennessee federal court on Thursday to dismiss the labels' lawsuit, which accused X of infringing hundreds of copyrights by allowing users to post songs without a license. They also requested that a Texas federal court dismiss a countersuit filed by X, which alleged the labels conspired to block competition and forced the platform to license songs at inflated rates.
Spokespeople for X Corp, the labels, and their trade group—the National Music Publishers Association—did not immediately respond to requests for comment or additional details, including whether the dispute had been settled. The filings asked the courts to dismiss the claims with prejudice, meaning they cannot be refiled.
Background of the Dispute
- A group of 17 music publishers sued X in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2023, seeking more than $250 million in damages for alleged infringement of nearly 1,700 copyrights.
- The lawsuit claimed that X "routinely ignores" users' copyright infringement, while other major platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube properly license music from publishers.
- In 2024, X convinced the court to dismiss much of the lawsuit. U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger ruled that X could not be held liable for direct or vicarious copyright infringement, but allowed part of the labels' contributory infringement claim to proceed.
- X countersued the publishers in Texas in January, accusing them of violating federal antitrust law by refusing to negotiate individual licensing deals. The publishers moved to dismiss that case in April.
(Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Nick Zieminski)
Source
Yahoo FinanceWestern
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Musk's X and Major Music Labels End Legal Dispute Over Music Use on Platform