X and music publishers end three-year legal battle with quiet settlement
The dispute, which began with a $250 million copyright infringement claim in 2023, concludes without public explanation or revealed settlement figures.
A three-year legal dispute between X and a coalition of music publishers, led by the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA), has concluded with both parties quietly dismissing their opposing lawsuits. Court documents filed by both sides indicate the cases have been dismissed with prejudice, a legal status that permanently closes the matters and prevents either party from refiling the same claims in the future.
The conflict originated in 2023 when the NMPA initiated a $250 million lawsuit against the platform, then known as Twitter. The original complaint alleged that the social media network hosted thousands of instances of copyright infringement and failed to implement adequate measures to prevent users from sharing pirated music. At the time, Twitter was one of the few major social media platforms operating without a licensing agreement with music publishers.
In response to the initial filing, X launched a counter-suit nearly three years later. This legal action alleged that the music publishers engaged in anticompetitive practices designed to force the platform into licensing agreements at inflated rates. The counter-claim framed the publishers' demands as an attempt to extract higher fees through coercive market behaviour rather than fair negotiation.
Legal proceedings saw further developments as recently as last month, when X requested that the court dismiss the case. In that filing, the platform argued that it should not be held legally responsible for piracy committed by its users. This motion preceded the final agreement to dismiss both suits, although neither X nor the NMPA has provided a public explanation for the sudden decision to end the litigation.
The specific financial terms and conditions of the settlement remain undisclosed. Neither side has released details regarding any monetary exchange or changes to future licensing arrangements. Engadget has contacted the NMPA for comment on the resolution and will update this report if further information becomes available.
