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This settlement is closed!
Please see what other class action settlements you might qualify to claim cash from in our Open Settlements directory!
Spotify has agreed to pay $43.45 million to resolve claims that the streaming service published music without paying proper royalties to songwriters.
The settlement will benefit individuals who 1) own the copyright in a musical composition, 2) applied for or received a certificate of registration from the U.S. Copyright Office before June 29, 2017, and 3) Spotify made the musical composition available for interactive streaming and/or limited downloading without a license between Dec. 28, 2012 and June 29, 2017.
The class action lawsuit against Spotify was filed in December 2015, claiming that the streaming service infringed on copyrights by “[reproducing] and/or [distributing] […] copyrighted musical compositions using Spotify’s streaming service and offline listening service, without identifying and/or locating the owners of those compositions for payment or a notice of intent to reproduce.”
The suit was originally filed in California, but Spotify requested that the complaint be moved to New York since that it where it conducts business.
A settlement was reached for the Spotify publishing class action lawsuit in May 2017. In May 2018, the court granted final approval for the settlement. Five appeals were reportedly filed after final approval was granted but these appeals have all been dismissed, allowing the settlement to move forward.
Payment under the settlement will depend entirely on the number of streams of a claimed musical work. If a Class Member only owns part of a musical composition, that partial ownership will be reflected in their payment.
The deadline for filing a valid claim is Dec. 11, 2019. The deadline for exclusion and objection was Sept. 12, 2017. The final approval hearing was Dec. 1, 2017.
Who’s Eligible
Individuals who 1) own the copyright in a musical composition, 2) applied for or received a certificate of registration from the U.S. Copyright Office before June 29, 2017, and 3) Spotify made the musical composition available for interactive streaming and/or limited downloading without a license between Dec. 28, 2012 and June 29, 2017.
Potential Award
Varies. Will depend on the number of streams of each claimed musical work.
Proof of Purchase
Class Members must provide the Spotify Track ID for each copyrighted musical recording.
Claim Form
NOTE: If you do not qualify for this settlement do NOT file a claim.
Remember: you are submitting your claim under penalty of perjury. You are also harming other eligible Class Members by submitting a fraudulent claim. If you’re unsure if you qualify, please read the FAQ section of the Settlement Administrator’s website to ensure you meet all standards (Top Class Actions is not a Settlement Administrator). If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other open class action settlements you may be eligible for.
Claim Form Deadline
12/11/2019
Case Name
Ferrick v. Spotify USA Inc., Case No. 1:16-cv-8412-AJN, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Final Hearing
12/1/2017
Settlement Website
Claims Administrator
Ferrick v. Spotify
c/o Epiq
P.O. Box 3560
Portland, OR 97208-3560
info@SpotifyPublishingSettlement.com
1-855-474-3853
Class Counsel
Henry Gradstein
Maryann R. Marzano
GRADSTEIN & MARZANO PC
Marc M. Seltzer
Steven G. Sklaver
Kalpana D. Srinivasan
Krysta Kauble Pachman
Stephen E. Morrissey
SUSMAN GODFREY LLP
Defense Counsel
John Nadolenco
Andrew J. Pincus
Archis A. Parasharami
A. John P. Mancini
MAYER BROWN LLP
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12 thoughts onSpotify Songwriter Copyright Class Action Settlement
Anyone else get a W-9 request yet???
Yes
Do Anyone know the status, TCA can you check and see if they are going to abide by the web site and start accepting royalty claims by 3/10/2020.
I spent hours trying to filll out the forms, look up songs. they make it almost impossible to complete the application. My songs are on there, very frustrating :( Lisa Brennan, lisa@saber.net
Unable to access website to submit claim my songs have been playing on Spotify
How do I get a list of the songs that Spotify used illegally as it relates to the class action suit?
Please add me
I have songs on Spotify
I am submitting writing documents concerning my three songs which spotify had use , I am the same Delroy Whyte AKA Admiral Willow
Just found seventeen of my husbands songs on there and we never allowed Spotify to have them nor did we ever receive payment for the 5+ years they have been using them. So I hope I filled all that out right!
I have no clue how to find if songs of mine have been downloaded illegally in the spotify lawsuit
I’m not sure if the songs were illegally downloaded while listening on Spotify.