X has initiated legal action against music publishers and the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), alleging attempts at coercion amidst their ongoing licensing dispute, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter. The platform, owned by Elon Musk, accuses these music publishers of conspiring with the NMPA to pressure X into securing licenses for musical works on a broad scale, thereby undermining competitive benefits among publishers.

The antitrust lawsuit, lodged on Friday, asserts that the NMPA and music publishers have “weaponized” the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) by issuing numerous takedown requests for purportedly infringing content. According to the suit, since 2021, the NMPA has inundated X with weekly takedown notices concerning thousands of posts, allegedly to gain leverage and compel X into accepting comprehensive industry licensing agreements.

Following Musk’s acquisition of X, the platform has grappled with copyright and piracy issues. Notably, in 2023, instances of the entire Super Mario Bros. Movie being uploaded to X were reported.

This lawsuit marks the latest development in a protracted legal conflict between X and the NMPA, which previously sought $250 million in damages from X in 2023 for extensive copyright violations involving over 1,700 tracks. While a judge upheld sections of this ongoing lawsuit in 2024, a filing in November 2025 indicated significant progress towards a settlement, as noted by The Hollywood Reporter.

X seeks financial compensation and a judicial order to prevent the NMPA from allegedly coercing X into collective negotiations with publishers.