Sony Music accuses Triller of breaking contract, misusing songs

The label's lawsuit filed Monday included a "representative sample" of 50 songs that Triller Inc has allegedly misused on its platform by musicians including Britney Spears, Harry Styles, George Michael and Janis Joplin.

Is allowance instantly strangers applauded

Sony Music Entertainment told a Manhattan federal court that the makers of the short-form video app Triller failed to pay millions of dollars under a license agreement and have been committing "massive" copyright infringement of its songs.

The label's lawsuit filed Monday included a "representative sample" of 50 songs that Triller Inc has allegedly misused on its platform by musicians including Britney Spears, Harry Styles, George Michael, and Janis Joplin.

A Thriller spokesperson said Tuesday that the company has removed Sony Music's catalog from the platform. Another representative for Triller said that the complaint "grossly mischaracterizes" the companies' relationship.

"We are focused on furthering the creator economy, and we will continue to seek a contract that achieves that goal," the representative said. "If necessary, we will defend our case in court."

Sony Music declined to comment on the lawsuit.

The lawsuit said the companies signed a content distribution agreement in 2016 that allowed Triller to reproduce Sony Music songs within the video-sharing app. According to the complaint, Triller has missed its required payments under the agreement since March, at a time when the TikTok rival also went on a "purchasing spree" of other companies.

Sony Music said Triller responded to its requests for payment with "near-total radio silence." The label said Triller has been using its music without permission since Aug. 8, when Sony Music terminated the agreement.

The lawsuit asked for an unspecified amount of money damages including unpaid licensing costs and late fees, as well as an order for Triller to stop infringing its copyrights.

Triller said in June that it had confidentially filed paperwork for an initial public offering in the United States later this year. The Los Angeles-based company announced yesterday that it has raised over $300 million in financing and has more than 300 million users.