Sony Music sues Kroger over alleged copyright infringement in social media ads

Sony Music Entertainment has filed a lawsuit against The Kroger Co. in the US District Court for the Central District of California, alleging the unauthorized use of sound recordings in social media advertisements. The complaint claims that Kroger and its various banners, including Ralphs, Mariano’s, Harris Teeter, and Fred Meyer Jewelers, used at least 392 unauthorized recordings across their own social media accounts and through paid influencers on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.

The lawsuit alleges that Kroger used music from artists including Beyoncé, Harry Styles, Mariah Carey, and Michael Jackson to increase the engagement and reach of its advertisements without obtaining the necessary sync licenses. Sony Music argues that the infringement was “knowing and willful,” noting that Kroger has a history of entering into legitimate licensing agreements with the label dating back to 2017.

Sony Music, joined by nine affiliated labels such as Arista and Alamo Records, seeks to halt what it describes as the “rampant infringement” of its copyrights. The legal action follows a trend of major music labels pursuing commercial brands for using copyrighted music in social media content intended for business promotion.