Music publishers Kobalt, Prescription Songs, and others are seeking to consolidate 13 copyright infringement lawsuits against NBA teams into a single case, with the Cleveland Cavaliers action serving as the lead case.

The lawsuits, filed in summer 2023, allege that NBA teams including the Cleveland Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers infringed on protected musical works in videos posted to TikTok, Instagram, and NBA.com. The NBA league itself is not named in these suits.

Key points about the consolidation:

• 13 cases remain active (down from 14 after Atlanta Hawks reached a settlement)
• Defendants agree to consolidation for pre-trial proceedings only
• Publishers have requested a conference to discuss consolidation

These cases are part of a broader trend of copyright infringement suits against brands using music in social media promotions without proper licensing. Social platforms typically only clear music rights for personal, not commercial use.

Related developments:

• Beastie Boys vs. Chili's parent company case continues, with defendant's response due February 3rd
• Universal Music filed a similar suit against Chili's owner (response due January 27th)
• Associated Production Music recently settled with several American Hockey League teams
• Sony Music settled their social media copyright case with Marriott

This consolidation effort represents a significant development in how music publishers are addressing unauthorized commercial use of their content on social media platforms.

Related Articles

Previous Articles