Spotify Music Copyright Violation Settlement

Settlement Structure: Claims Made

Active: Closed

Closed Settlement Statement:

According to court documents, the claim submission deadline has passed. Please contact the claims administrator if you have any questions.

Case Summary:

Spotify has agreed to pay more than $43 million to settle a class action alleging that it made artists’ music available without a license. Spotify gives users on-demand access to digital music, and the complaint alleges that the company made certain compositions available for streaming or download without a license to do so, infringing on the artists’ rights under copyright law.

Docket Number:

1:16-cv-8412 (AJN)

Company: Spotify USA Inc.

Class Period: December 28, 2012 to June 29, 2017

Objection Deadline: September 12, 2017

Exclusion Deadline: September 12, 2017

Final Approval Hearing: December 1, 2017

Proof of Purchase:

You must provide the copyright registration number for each musical composition and the track identifier for each recording of it on Spotify. See the Spotify Track Database for track identifiers and other information at www.SpotifyPublishingSettlement.com.

Eligibility:

You may be eligible if

You are the owner of the copyright for a musical composition,
You have received or applied for a certificate of registration from the US Copyright Office on or before June 29, 2017, and
Spotify made the musical composition available for interactive streaming or limited downloading without a license between December 28, 2012 and June 29, 2017.

You are not eligible if you are any of the following:

Spotify or its employees, affiliates, or counsel
A federal, state, or local government entity
A party to a Participating Publisher Pending and Unmatched Usage Agreement entered into in 2016 in connection with the Pending and Unmatched Usage Agreement dated as of March 17, 2016 between Spotify and the National Music Publishers’ Association
A party who has agreed not to bring a claim against Spotify or who has already given Spotify a release for the musical compositions in question during the class period

Typical Settlement Amount:

Varies. Class members who submit timely and valid claims will receive a pro rate share of the net settlement fund and will also receive quarterly payments of statutory mechanical license royalties for Spotify uses in the future.

Total Settlement Amount: $43.45 million

Class Representative Proposed Incentive Fee:

$25,000

Law Firms:
Gradstein & Marzano PC
Susman Godfrey LLP

Claim Form: Spotify Publishing Settlement Claim Form

Case Name: Ferrick v. Spotify USA Inc

Settlement Website: Spotify Publishing Settlement Website

Claims Administrator:
Garden City Group, LLC

Claims Administrator Contact Information:

Ferrick v. Spotify
c/o GCG
PO Box 10371
Dublin, Ohio 43017-5571
info@SpotifyPublishingSettlement.com
1 (855) 474-3853