Sony Music is suing Kroger over accusations that the supermarket giant used songs by Harry Styles, Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus and SZA without permission in TikTok and Instagram posts.
The case is the latest in a blitz of litigation from major labels over music used by commercial brands in social media posts. Marriott, Chili’s and NBA teams have all faced lawsuits, and many more companies have settled privately.
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In a complaint filed Friday (Aug. 21), Sony claims Kroger — a grocery behemoth with 2,800 stores across 35 states — has posted nearly 400 unauthorized uses of its music, including songs by Beyoncé, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Outkast, Prince, Pitbull and The White Stripes.
“This action is to stop the Kroger Parties’ rampant infringement of Sony Music’s sound recording copyrights in advertisements posted to the Kroger Parties’ social media accounts and through ‘influencers’ whom the Kroger Parties pay,” the label’s lawyers write.
