An Indianapolis-based advertising agency is being sued for using a 5-second song clip in a promotional video posted on their Facebook page on March 11, 2016.

The plaintiff, a musical group called the Quad City DJ’s, alleges that they first discovered the “infringing” post on June 20, 2023. Approximately 5-6 seconds of the plaintiff’s song, “Space Jam,” are played in the background of a video promoting Dribble to Work Day during the NCAA Women’s Final Four. The short promotional video, still viewable here, has only 294 views since being published in 2016. How many of those views are the plaintiff and plaintiff’s counsel?

This lawsuit should serve as a warning to all businesses to go back and review old social media posts, checking for any unauthorized photos, music, videos, etc. Old social media content is now being scanned by AI bots, even “watching” old videos, and a federal lawsuit could always be lurking. While real damages might be low, copyright law allows for a plaintiff to recover statutory damages, legal costs, and attorney fees.

Consider whether it’s time for your business to delete some old social media content.

Watson Music Group, LLC v. Borshoff, Inc.

Court Case Number: 1:23-cv-02117-TWP-KMB
File Date: November 22, 2023
Plaintiff: Watson Music Group, LLC d/b/a Quadrasound Music
Plaintiff Counsel: Craig Sanders, Esq. of Sanders Law Group
Defendant: Borshoff, Inc.
Cause: Direct Copyright Infringement
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Tanya Walton Pratt
Referred To: Kellie M. Barr

Complaint: