📰 New article from TorrentFreak
Music Publishers Ask Court to Dismiss X’s ‘Weaponized DMCA’ Antitrust Suit
https://torrentfreak.com/music-publishers-ask-court-to-dismiss-xs-weaponized-dmca-antitrust-suit/
### A Conspiracy Built on One Word?
It turns out that in high-stakes legal battles, even a tiny pronoun can cause a massive headache.
X (formerly Twitter) is currently locked in a legal slugfest with major music publishers, claiming the industry coordinated a “weaponized” campaign of DMCA takedowns to bully them into licensing deals. But according to the publishers’ latest motion to dismiss, X’s entire conspiracy theory relies on a single, tenuous thread: the word “we.”
The publishers argue that X selectively cropped an email from the National Music Publishers’ Association to make it look like a coordinated threat. When read in full, they claim the email was simply an invitation to partner—not a declaration of war.
Beyond the linguistic drama, there are two heavy-hitting legal arguments at play:
- No Competition: Antitrust law is designed to protect competitors. Since X and music publishers aren’t competing for the same customers, the publishers argue there’s no “antitrust injury.”
- First Amendment Protection: The industry maintains that sending takedown notices is a protected legal activity, not an illegal boycott.
Essentially, the publishers are calling X’s bluff, suggesting the lawsuit isn’t about antitrust at all—it’s just retaliation for a separate copyright case. Now, it’s up to the judge to decide if this is a legitimate grievance or just a very expensive misunderstanding.