The popular streaming service Spotify has just been hit with a $150 million class action lawsuit over alleged unpaid royalties. The suit was filed Monday (December 28th) by Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker in the Central District Court of California. According to the firm’s founding member David Lowery, Spotify “knowingly, willingly, and unlawfully reproduces and distributes copyrighted compositions without obtaining mechanical licenses,” and they are seeking at least $150 million in damages.
Read more below.
The complaint states that Spotify has unlawfully distributed copyrighted music compositions to over 75 million subscribers and failed to identify the owners of those compositions for payment. He also adds to the complaint that Spotify had previously and publicly admitted its failure to obtain licenses. In an recent blog post, Spotify announced they have paid $3 billion in royalties to date, but sources reveal the company has $17 million to $25 million still to pay for outstanding royalty fees.
Source Complex
