The National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) have collectively filed a lawsuit against fitness startup Peloton. According to court records, the National Publishers Association is seeking over $150 million in damages. The complaint, filed by Downtown Music Publishing, Ultra Music, and eight other publishing groups, alleges that Peloton has been playing their musical works for several years in its workout videos without the proper utilization of licensing. Because of this process, the results were the loss of potential income for many artists.
TMZ reports that some of the songs listed in the suit include “Umbrella” and “Diamonds” by Rihanna, “Don’t Wake Me Up” by Chris Brown, along with older hits like “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” by Pat Benatar. Rihanna’s hit track, “Umbrella,” has been used in at least 55 workout vids since 2017.
“Music is a core part of the Peloton business model and is responsible for much of the brand’s swift success,” said NMPA president and CEO David Israelite said in a statement. “Thousands of exclusive videos and playlists are a major reason hundreds of thousands of people have purchased Peloton products.”
As The Verge reports, “We just received the complaint this morning, and we are evaluating it,” a representative from Peloton told The Verge. “Peloton has great respect for songwriters and artists. In fact, we have partnered with each of the major music publishers, record labels and performing rights organizations, and many leading independents. We have also invested heavily to build a best-in-breed reporting and licensing system to support our partners and provide our members with a world-class fitness experience.”
The NMPA alleges that these violations by Peloton have been taken place since 2014 when it first launched their at-home streaming on its machines.
