NMPA CEO calls lawsuit against TikTok “likely” if publishing deals aren’t secured

TikTok may have at least temporarily gotten its ducks in a row for licensing, but music publishers are still threatening legal action. David Israelite, CEO of the National Music Publishers Association, told the Financial Times (paywall) that a lawsuit is a “likely future step” if the social video service doesn’t make changes. He claimed that more than half of the music publishing market likely does not have licensing with TikTok.

This isn’t the first time TikTok has drawn the ire of publishers. The NMPA called for a congressional investigation into the platform in October 2019 over its alleged copyright infringements. Then, it took shots at the service again when it launched plans for a “Transparency Center,” with Israelite calling it “hollow” unless it included specifics about licensing.

Anna Washenko