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Last month, Spotify was hit with a $150 million class action lawsuit. The company stands accused of "knowingly, willingly, and unlawfully reproduc[ing] and distribut[ing] copyrighted compositions without obtaining mechanical licenses." The suit suggested that this had consequences for artists—in the form of "substantial harm and injury"—and the art itself, "diminish[ing] the integrity of the works."
According to the L.A. Times, Melissa Ferrick, a Massachusetts-based artist, filed a similar suit against Spotify on Friday. She alleges that her songs have been streamed close to a million times on the service even though the company did not properly license her work. She's asking Spotify for $200 million.
Spotify has acknowledged that it has difficulties tracking down artists for royalty payments. "One of our core commitments is making sure that everyone involved in the creation of music is paid fairly, rapidly, and transparently," reads a recent blog post from the company. "Unfortunately, when it comes to publishing and songwriting royalties, especially in the United States, that’s easier said than done because the data necessary to confirm the appropriate rightsholder is often missing, wrong, or incomplete."
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