Spotify settles copyright feud with Wixen
Spotify has settled a copyright infringement suit with independent music publisher Wixen.
Wixen filed the suit against Spotify in December 2017 in the US District Court for the Central District of California, Western Division, seeking $1.6 billion.
The publishing company informed the court that it was dismissing the action yesterday, December 20.
Wixen alleged that Spotify had used thousands of its songs without obtaining the appropriate licence for compositions. Spotify has licensing agreements with a number of record labels for the rights to stream sound recordings.
The publishing company holds the rights to more than 50,000 songs by artists including Tom Petty, Neil Young and The Doors.
The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
In a statement announcing the agreement, the two parties indicated that the deal would allow them to continue a “mutually advantageous relationship for the future”.
Wixen president Randall Wixen described Spotify as a “huge part of the future of music” and said his company looked forward to “bringing more great music from our clients to the public on terms that compensate songwriters and publishers as important partners”.
Horacio Gutierrez, counsel and vice president for business and legal affairs at Spotify, said that the settlement represented Wixen’s “commitment to providing first-rate service and support to songwriters while broadening its relationship with Spotify”.
The settlement brings to an end just one of a number of copyright suits that Spotify has faced this year. In May, the streaming service settled a combined class action suit filed by musicians David Lowery and Melissa Ferrick. Spotify paid $43.5 million as part of the settlement.
WIPR reported earlier this month that photographer Neil Zlozower is also suing Spotify for the alleged unlicensed use of his photo of the band Mötley Crüe on the company’s web player.
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