Multiple music publishers have filed lawsuits against 14 NBA teams for allegedly using copyrighted music without proper permission. A pre-trial conference for the Phoenix Suns case is scheduled for October, while the remaining 13 cases are expected to be consolidated into a single lawsuit.

The lawsuits target teams including the New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, and others, with publisher plaintiffs including Kobalt Music Publishing, Artist Publishing Group, and Prescription Songs. They seek $150,000 in damages per infringement for unauthorized use of songs from artists like Cardi B, Jay-Z, Migos, and OutKast.

The consolidation is likely to take place in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, though the presiding judge and complete list of publisher plaintiffs remain undetermined. Court dockets show "Notice of Case Assignment/Reassignment" references across all cases except the Phoenix Suns', indicating imminent consolidation.

This legal action comes as Comcast and NBCUniversal secured a $2.5 billion annual NBA broadcast package. While the NBA itself isn't named in the lawsuits, any recording and compositional licenses would be required for video uploads to the NBA website.

The case follows a similar lawsuit filed by Sony Music against Marriott International in May, which alleged over 900 copyright infringements in social media posts featuring works from artists like Britney Spears, Harry Styles, and Beyoncé.

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