(Reuters) - Music streaming company Spotify was sued by Wixen Music Publishing Inc last week for allegedly using thousands of songs, including those of Tom Petty, Neil Young and the Doors, without a license and compensation to the music publisher.
Wixen, an exclusive licensee of songs such as "Free Fallin" by Tom Petty, "Light My Fire" by the Doors, (Girl We Got a) Good Thing by Weezer and works of singers such as Stevie Nicks, is seeking damages worth at least $1.6 billion along with injunctive relief.
Spotify failed to get a direct or a compulsory license from Wixen that would allow it to reproduce and distribute the songs, Wixen said in the lawsuit, filed in a California federal court.
Wixen also alleged that Spotify outsourced its work to a third party, licensing and royalty services provider the Harry Fox Agency, which was "ill-equipped to obtain all the necessary mechanical licenses".
Spotify declined to comment.
Headphones are seen in front of a logo of online music streaming service Spotify in this February 18, 2014 illustration picture.
Yeah, I always personally wondered about Spotify and the other streaming music services. Do they all skip paying the artists royalties? How Spotify was able to stream these tracks this long without them doing anything about it is the bigger question. Spotify has been around for awhile.
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