Music streaming store Napster, and the well-known audio company Sonos are both being sued for millions due to not paying artists what they deserve in royalties.
Napster was once a platform branded for music file sharing. The idea was, if you had a downloaded copy of a track, you could share it with your friends at no cost. However, this eventually ran into problems due to it being piracy. It had to make huge changes in the early 2000s.
Now they’re in trouble once again due to copyright. Along with the huge audio company Sonos, Napster are being sued for $3.4 million due to unpaid copyright royalties. The lawsuit was filed by SoundExchange, claiming they have missed payments.
Until 2023 Sonos Radio service was powered by Napster’s music catalogue, so it’s not surprising they too have fallen short of their payments. When first created, the idea behind Napster was a worldwide jukebox where everyone could access all music.
A great idea, and similar to the streaming stores we know today, but the way they went about it wasn’t ethical. Through various owners and adaptations throughout the years, Napster is now a fully legal streaming service, who seem to still be breaking rules.
SoundExchange sue Sonos and Napster
A complaint filed in California federal court sees SoundExchange claiming over $3.4 million in unpaid copyright royalties from both Sonos and Napster. Sonos launched in April 2020 with the help of Napster, as their authorised agent.
They were providing the audio company with the songs needed to host the radio service. However, it seems royalties weren’t being paid. The payments started but stopped in May 2022. How do two huge companies get away with this?
Well, Napster and Sonos are no longer partners. The audio equipment company switched across to Deezer in April 2023, so things have been swept under the carpet. However, SoundExchange, rightfully, won’t let this go.
