Sony Music Entertainment has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against shoe retailer Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW), alleging “rampant infringement” of sound recordings in social media advertising. This follows Warner Music Group’s similar lawsuit filed in May, making DSW a target of multiple major music companies.
Scope of Alleged Infringement
Sony claims DSW used at least 122 of its sound recordings in over 170 unauthorized video promotions across social media platforms. The alleged violations include high-profile tracks like Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love,” Doja Cat’s “Paint The Town Red,” and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Sony states this represents only the minimum scope of infringement discovered so far.
DSW’s Failed Defense Strategy
Despite DSW’s previous lawsuit seeking court protection by arguing that its posts followed platform terms of service, Sony directly counters this defense. The lawsuit emphasizes that both TikTok and Instagram explicitly prohibit commercial copyright infringement, with TikTok’s terms stating services are “for private, non-commercial use” and requiring business users to confirm music rights ownership.
Platform Policy Violations
Sony highlights that TikTok provides a separate pre-cleared music library for business users, which doesn’t include Sony’s recordings. Since August 2020, business accounts must verify music rights ownership or face automatic muting. Instagram has similarly prohibited commercial music use without proper licensing since April 2018.
Industry-Wide Enforcement Pattern
This case represents part of a broader crackdown by major music companies against unauthorized social media music usage. Recent similar lawsuits have targeted Chili’s restaurant chain, Marriott Hotels, University of Southern California, Crumbl Cookies, and multiple NBA teams.
DSW’s Prior Experience
Sony emphasizes that DSW, operating nearly 500 stores, has “decades of experience licensing music” and previously licensed Sony recordings for promotional purposes, making the current unauthorized usage particularly egregious given their knowledge of proper licensing requirements.