NBA called out for 'willfully infringing' music without permission in several new lawsuits

[Enter Stage Rite]

In a slam dunk for music publishers, 14 National Basketball Association (NBA) teams are facing infringement lawsuits for allegedly using copyrighted music in promotional videos without proper licensing. The plaintiffs, including Kobalt Music Publishing and Artist Publishing Group, claim the teams used music on their social media channels (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook) and the official NBA.com website without permission.

 

The lawsuits, filed in the United States, target some of the league’s most recognizable names, including the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves.

 

The complaints argue that these teams are “acutely aware” of copyright law due to their own intellectual property holdings. In spite of this, they proceeded in “willfully infringing” copyrights to “increase viewership” and “engage the fanbase” through catchy tunes.

 

Hoops and copyright whoops? The suit against the New York Knicks details 23 specific songs, including tracks by “New York legends” Jay-Z and Cardi B, allegedly used without permission. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers appropriated songs by local musician Meek Mill, and the Atlanta Hawks featured music from “Atlanta’s own” Migos and OutKast.

 

• https://www.billboard.com/pro/nba-teams-sued-kobalt-copyrighted-music-social-media-videos/ 
• https://uproxx.com/music/15-nba-teams-sued-unlicensed-music-use-jay-z-migos-cardi-b/ 
• https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/new-york-knicks-cleveland-cavaliers-denver-nuggets-and-minnesota-timberwolves-sued-for-allegedly-using-music-in-tiktok-videos-without-permission/ 

 

 

 

Image: Michal Bednarek | Dreamstime.com