Sony Music-Universal Music JV Hits Johnson & Johnson With Copyright Lawsuit Over Unlicensed Music Use Covering 80 Videos

Johnson & Johnson JNJ is reportedly facing a lawsuit for allegedly using copyrighted instrumental music without permission in numerous YouTube and Facebook videos.

The legal action, filed by Associated Production Music (APM) in a Los Angeles federal court, accuses the pharmaceutical giant of “rampant infringement” involving nearly 80 videos featuring unlicensed tracks.

These videos were distributed online without obtaining proper music licenses from APM, which specializes in producing music for various media.

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APM, a joint venture between Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing, claims that despite repeated attempts to notify Johnson & Johnson of the unlicensed use, the company neither obtained the necessary licenses nor acknowledged any wrongdoing, the Billboard report adds.

According to APM, Johnson & Johnson failed to secure authorization to synchronize APM’s music with the videos in question, violating copyright law.

The lawsuit highlights the scope of the infringement, listing 30 different APM songs used by Johnson & Johnson. The legal action suggests that even though these songs are not mainstream hits, using them without a license could lead to significant financial penalties.

Under federal copyright law, Johnson & Johnson could face substantial damages. If the court finds that the company’s actions were willful, the pharmaceutical firm could be fined up to $150,000 per song, amounting to nearly $12 million for the 79 videos involved.

Price Action: JNJ stock is down 1.50% at $164.87 at the last check on Wednesday.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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