lawsuits

Publisher Sues Pandora for Much Less Than It Sued Spotify

Photo: Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Offering up the lyrics to whatever song you’re streaming is a pretty handy feature, but is it …okay? One music publishing company says no, no it is not. Wixen Music Publishing has filed a lawsuit against Pandora for copyright infringement over some of the song lyrics it’s been displaying. According to Billboard, Wixen claims its artists — which include Tom Petty, Rage Against the Machine, and Weezer — are not covered in the lyric licensing agreements Pandora has in place. Wixen claims to have allegedly notified the music app of this in early 2018, but that the company didn’t agree to take down some of the lyrics until just last month. Wixen Music Publishing also sued Spotify last year for $1.6 billion, claiming it was not paying all the royalties the company was owed. That case was dismissed once Spotify agreed to work with the publisher on a “broader business partnership.†This time around, Wixen is asking that Pandora pay $150,000 in damages for each of the unauthorized songs used. The suit lists about 100 songs, so that could put Pandora on the hook for a comparatively affordable $15 million.

Publisher Sues Pandora for Much Less Than It Sued Spotify