The music industry is clamping down on NFL teams using copyrighted music in social media posts.
While some of the complaints focus on teams inserting music into highlight reels, many revolve around music that is playing in the background of videos, like locker room celebrations.
The Arizona Cardinals have reportedly already struck a six-figure settlement deal over one complaint, and the NFL could look to work out a wide-ranging licensing deal. “As a content provider we respect the work and copyrights of music publishers,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said.
These social posts are the latest part of the sports and entertainment world to get targeted by major U.S. music organizations through Digital Millennium Copyright Act notices.
Twitch has been extensively targeted: Streamers on the Amazon-owned platform have been hit with thousands of DMCA notifications this year over music playing in the background of video clips.
A group including the Recording Industry Association of America and the Recording Academy sent a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Twitch CEO Emmett Shear in October accusing the platform of allowing streamers to use music without authorization.
Pressing Pause:
- Teams like the Houston Rockets and Auburn football have previously had their Twitter accounts suspended due to copyright infringement.
- Several NBA teams have recently received DMCA notices, but it’s unclear how widespread the notices are beyond that.
- Twitch is expanding the technology it uses to block the use of copyrighted music, and is providing streamers with authorized tracks.
