X and Music Publishers Quietly Settle Opposing Lawsuits, Ending Three-Year Copyright Battle

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A three-year legal battle between X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, and a coalition of major music publishers has quietly come to an end. Both sides filed court documents to dismiss their opposing lawsuits “with prejudice,” permanently ending the dispute without disclosing the terms of the settlement.

The $250 Million Copyright Lawsuit

The feud began in June 2023, when a group of music publishers led by the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) sued the platform — then still called Twitter — for $250 million. The lawsuit alleged that Twitter hosted widespread copyright infringement, allowing users to share copyrighted music without authorization while doing little to stop it. At the time, Twitter was notably the only major social media platform without a licensing agreement with music publishers.

The NMPA argued that Twitter’s hands-off approach to user-generated content containing copyrighted music set it apart from competitors like Meta, YouTube, and TikTok, all of which had negotiated licensing deals with the music industry.

X’s Counter-Lawsuit

In response, X — after Elon Musk’s rebranding from Twitter — filed its own lawsuit against the music publishers nearly three years later. The countersuit claimed the publishers had engaged in anticompetitive practices, effectively colluding to force the platform into licensing their songs at inflated rates.

X also argued in court filings that it should not be held responsible for copyright infringement committed by its users, pointing to protections under Section 230 and the DMCA safe harbor provisions.

A Quiet Resolution

Both sides filed dismissal requests on the same day, with neither offering a public explanation for the sudden resolution. However, the court documents show that both lawsuits were dismissed “with prejudice,” meaning they are permanently barred from being refiled.

According to reports from Reuters, which first broke the story, the settlement terms remain confidential. Engadget has reached out to the NMPA for comment.

The settlement closes a significant chapter in the evolving relationship between social media platforms and the music industry. The case raised fundamental questions about whether platforms like X should be treated like passive intermediaries or active distributors of copyrighted content.

While X has avoided a potentially costly judgment, the settlement also means the platform continues to operate without a formal music licensing deal — a distinction that still sets it apart from its peers. Whether the confidential settlement includes a behind-the-scenes licensing arrangement remains unknown.

For the music publishing industry, the resolution avoids a protracted legal fight that could have set unfavorable precedents regarding platform liability for user-posted content. The dismissal with prejudice signals that neither side wanted to risk an outcome that could reshape the legal landscape around digital copyright — or expose sensitive business dealings through discovery.

As social media platforms increasingly lean into video, live streaming, and audio features, the tension between user-generated content and music copyright is far from resolved. The X settlement, however, removes one of the most high-profile legal battles from the docket — at least for now.

NMPA on Know the Tech

X and Music Publishers Quietly Settle Opposing Lawsuits, Ending Three-Year Copyright Battle

The $250 Million Copyright Lawsuit

X’s Counter-Lawsuit

A Quiet Resolution

What This Means for Music and Social Media