Spotify settles case with Warner Chappel in India

After a long legal battle, music streaming service Spotify has finally settled its disputes with Warner Chappell Music regarding music rights that'll now allow the Swedish company to continue using Warner Chappel catalogue in India through a multiple territory license agreement. 

In a new settlement, the two companies have asked the courts in India to dismiss the pending litigation between the parties.

Warner had requested the Bombay High Court during February last year for an injunction to prevent Spotify from offering songs by its roster of song writers, including Katy Perry and Led Zeppelin.

Warner Music was an investor in Spotify but sold its stake in the Swedish firm in November 2018. However, Warner Music and Spotify are still negotiating pricing deal to allow the streaming service to offer Warner Music catalogue across global markets.

Spotify had blamed Warner Music Group for instructing Warner/Chappell Music to file for an injunction in an attempt to leverage WCM’s local Indian publishing rights, to extract concessions in WMG’s global renewal negotiations for musical recordings. Spotify had accused that WMG revoked a previously agreed upon publishing licence for reasons wholly unrelated to Spotify’s launch in India.

“We’re pleased with this agreement, and together with Warner Chappell Music, we look forward to helping songwriters and artists connect with more fans, and for more fans to enjoy and be inspired by their music,” a Spotify spokesperson.

A Warner Chappell spokesperson said, “We’re happy with this outcome. This new deal appropriately values our songwriters’ music and expands our licensed partnership with Spotify to include India.”