Sony Music Settles USC Copyright Lawsuit

Sony Music Entertainment has reached a settlement in its lawsuit against the University of Southern California. The dispute centered on the alleged unauthorized use of more than 170 songs owned by Sony in videos promoting USC's athletics program. The music label had initiated legal action last year, citing 283 videos that reportedly featured music from artists such as Michael Jackson and Britney Spears without proper licensing.

USC's athletics teams were accused of using these songs in promotional content on platforms including TikTok and Instagram. Sony Music had reportedly been warning the Los Angeles university about its music usage since 2021. While USC did not directly address the copyright infringement claims, a federal judge had previously dismissed secondary infringement claims against the university in January.