X and music publishers quietly settle opposing lawsuits
Social network X and major music publishers have agreed to drop their lawsuits against each other, with settlement terms undisclosed.
A three-year legal battle between X (formerly Twitter) and major music publishers has quietly ended. Court documents filed by both parties show they have requested to dismiss their opposing lawsuits, without revealing the terms of the settlement.
The dispute began in 2023 when a group of music publishers led by the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) sued then-Twitter for $250 million. The lawsuit alleged that the platform allowed widespread copyright infringement by users and failed to take action. At the time, Twitter was one of the few major social media platforms without a licensing agreement with music publishers.
Nearly three years later, X countersued, accusing the music publishers of anticompetitive practices aimed at forcing the platform to license songs at higher rates.
As recently as last month, X had asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing it should not be held liable for user piracy. However, both sides have now agreed to permanently end the dispute, requesting dismissals "with prejudice" to prevent any future refiling.
Neither side has offered an explanation for the dismissals. We have reached out to NMPA for comment and will update the story if we hear back.
