No License to Listen: How TikTok Lost Its Soundtrack
[1] The record label Universal Music Group (“UMG”) silenced TikTok videos on the social media platform in 2024 amid licensing disputes.[2] Under the Copyright Act of 1976, copyright protection attaches to “original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression”.[3] The Copyright Act treats musical works, including the lyrics, and sound recordings as separate categories of protected works, which are both able to be protected.[4] Because the lyrics and the sound recordings can...
