Spotify faces $1.6 billion lawsuit over song licensing
Spotify is no stranger to facing lawsuits accusing it of offering unlicensed songs , but the latest could prove to be very costly. Hollywood Reporter has learned that Wixen Music Publishing, which manages the song composition rights for artists ranging from Neil Young to Zach de la Rocha, has sued Spotify for copyright damages of at least $1.6 billion. Wixen claims that the streaming service is using tens of thousands of songs without proper licenses and the compensation to match. The plaintiff had already objected to proposed $43 million settlement in another case in May, so this wasn't coming entirely out of the blue. We've asked Spotify for comment. However, it hasn't been sitting idle. The company has questioned whether or not Wixen actually has permission from its artists. It may be allowed to negotiate on behalf of musicians, but that doesn't mean it's allowed to sue on their behalf. Spotify could also try an argument it has used in another lawsuit, wh...