X Corp Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Music Publishers and NMPA

Elon Musk's company, X Corp, has accused music publishers and the National Association of Music Publishers (NMPA) of conspiring to overstate the cost of licensing agreements. The lawsuit alleges that the publishers are trying to force X to pay more for the use of music. Musk also accused NMPA of sending massive DMCA notifications in excess of 200,000 in 2021-2022 and more than 500,000 in 2023 to pressure the platform. He believes publishers are seeking to strip X of its competitive advantage. As evidence of collusion, a letter was presented from the head of NMPA, which contained threats to a large-scale DMCA demand campaign to prevent the blocking of popular X accounts. Publishers are offering X licensing agreements, as do YouTube, Facebook, TikTok and other platforms. Publishers' demands are said to be "friendly" in nature, but X insists on individual negotiations with each label, threatening legal action. The court suspended the lawsuit in June 2025, but the parties made significant progress in agreeing on the deal. Despite this, X continues to demand compensation and a ban on sending DMCA claims, demonstrating a reluctance to concede and relying on his influence and bias of the judge.