Global Music Rights Sues Music Choice for Alleged Willful Copyright Infringement of 95 Songs

Global Music Rights sues Music Choice, alleging ‘willful’ copyright infringement of 95 songs after its license expired

June 9, 2026 By Murray Stassen

Global Music Rights (GMR) has sued Music Choice for copyright infringement, accusing the music-programming company of performing songs from its catalog after the companies’ licensing deal expired.

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The complaint, filed on Monday (June 8) in the US District Court for the Central District of California, alleges that Music Choice publicly performed no fewer than 95 compositions controlled by Global Music Rights without authorization from January 1, 2026 .

Within the filing, obtained by MBW , and which can be read in full here , GMR says that “ Music Choice is a willful copyright infringer.”

Global Music Rights is one of four performance rights organizations, or PROs, operating in the United States, alongside ASCAP , BMI and SESAC .

Founded in 2013 by Irving Azoff , it represents just over 175 songwriters and their publishers, according to the complaint.

Those writers include Bruce Springsteen , Bruno Mars , Drake , Pharrell Williams , John Lennon and the Eagles , the filing states.

The 95 compositions that Music Choice allegedly performed without authorization are set out in an exhibit to the complaint, which you can see here.

The largest single group is made up of songs written by Bruce Springsteen .

They include Born to Run , Dancing in the Dark , Glory Days , I’m on Fire and Streets of Philadelphia , along with 10 tracks from his 2007 album Magic .

The list also features songs written by Billie Eilish and her brother and collaborator Finneas , among them Bad Guy , Bury a Friend , Happier Than Ever and What Was I Made For? , the Academy Award-winning song from the Barbie soundtrack.

Springsteen , Eilish and Finneas all appear on Global Music Rights’ published roster of writers .

Other works named in the exhibit include Pearl Jam ‘s Alive , Black and Jeremy , Bill Withers ‘ Ain’t No Sunshine , Lean on Me and Use Me , and the Eagles ‘ New Kid in Town and Heartache Tonight .

Songs by Jimmy Buffett , John Mayer , Smokey Robinson , The Who and OneRepublic also feature.

Music Choice  is based in  Horsham, Pennsylvania , and distributes music programming through linear television channels, streaming applications, and on-demand services.

According to the complaint, the company is owned by a consortium that includes Sony Corporation of America , Charter Communications , Comcast Corporation , Cox Communications, and Microsoft .

According to the filing, Music Choice held a license from Global Music Rights , dated November 14, 2022 and amended the following May , to publicly perform the organization’s compositions.

That agreement expired on December 31, 2025 .

Section 3(b) of the contract provided that, upon expiration, “all rights and licenses granted by Global Music Rights to Licensee shall immediately terminate,” according to the complaint.

In the run-up to the expiration, Global Music Rights offered Music Choice multiple opportunities to renew or extend the license, the complaint says.

Music Choice declined, and on or about December 30, 2025 confirmed that it would not renew, according to the filing.

On December 31, 2025 , the day the license lapsed, Global Music Rights sent Music Choice a formal notice letter.

The letter warned that any public performance of the organization’s works on or after January 1, 2026 “would constitute willful copyright infringement,” exposing Music Choice to “statutory damages of up to $150,000 per work infringed,” the complaint states.

The notice also pointed Music Choice to a complete listing of the songs, songwriters and publishers in the Global Music Rights repertory so that it could avoid performing them, the filing says.

Despite the warning, Music Choice continued to perform the compositions from January 1, 2026 , the complaint alleges.

“ Music Choice made the strategic decision not to pay Global Music Rights for these uses and hoped to get away with it,” the complaint states.

“But Music Choice did not get away with it. Music Choice has been caught red handed.”

The complaint argues that Music Choice , which it says has operated in the music industry for nearly four decades, fully understood its licensing obligations.

The dispute escalated in early February 6  when Global Music Rights ‘ outside counsel sent Music Choice a formal notice of copyright infringement, demanding that it immediately stop performing the works, the filing says.

Even after that letter, Music Choice continued to use the compositions, according to the complaint.

The single count of direct copyright infringement describes Music Choice ‘s conduct as “willful, intentional, purposeful, and in disregard of and indifferent to the rights of Global Music Rights .”

Global Music Rights is seeking maximum statutory damages of $150,000 for each composition infringed, or alternatively, its actual damages plus Music Choice ‘s profits.

It is also asking the court to permanently enjoin Music Choice from performing the works and to award attorneys’ fees and costs.

With statutory damages capped at $150,000 per work, the 95 compositions cited carry a maximum exposure of around $14.25 million . Global Music Rights describes its list as non-exhaustive and has reserved the right to add further works.

Music Choice has been the subject of royalty litigation before.

In 2019 , SoundExchange sued the company , alleging that it had underpaid royalties for its use of sound recordings.

For Global Music Rights , the suit continues a record of legal action to enforce its repertoire.

The organization spent more than five years in litigation with the Radio Music License Committee , which represents around 10,000 commercial radio stations, before the two sides settled in 2022 .

Global Music Rights is represented by Daniel Petrocelli and David Marroso of O’Melveny & Myers . Music Business Worldwide

_Originally reported by [Music Business Worldwide](https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/global-music-rights-sues-music-choice-alleging-willful-copyright-infringement-of-95-songs-after-its-license-expired/)._