Sony Music Takes USC to Court Over Social Media Copyright Violations
Sony Music has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against the University of Southern California (USC) over unauthorized use of protected music in social media content.
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Key allegations in the lawsuit:
- USC sports teams used copyrighted recordings in social videos without proper licenses
- "Hundreds" of infringing uploads were identified across various USC accounts
- Affected content includes songs from Travis Scott, Elvis, Tate McRae, Future, and Shakira
- Infringement spans multiple departments, including main sports teams, rowing team, and Sports Performance center
- Violations occurred despite multiple notifications from Sony Music since 2021
Legal timeline:
- Initial notification: 2021
- Additional discussions: Early 2023 and summer 2024
- Statute of limitations agreement: August 15, 2024 - January 15, 2025
- Settlement talks failed to resolve the dispute
Sony Music notes that USC allegedly continued posting infringing content even after receiving cease and desist notices. The lawsuit also suggests potential additional litigation regarding musical compositions and from other record labels.
This case follows similar actions against:
- Marriott International (settled)
- Brinker International (Chili's parent company)
- NBA teams
- American Hockey League teams
Important context: Social platform song libraries are pre-cleared for personal use only, not commercial purposes. USC has issued a statement contesting the lawsuit, though many allegedly infringing videos remain online.
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