NMPA Takes Legal Action Against Two Infringing Lyrics Websites

By M. Quintero Moore

Simply put, the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) has had enough. They are now taking legal action against two lyric of the 50 "illegal” lyric websites they have contacted. The suit claims the sites in question, are infringing copyright laws by posting lyrics without obtaining proper licenses from , or paying those who legally hold the rights to the lyrics.

The suits, filed today in U.S. Federal Court in the Southern District of New York, list the plaintiffs as SeekLyrics.com and LyricsTIme.com.

NMPA, based in Washington, D.C., says it filed the lawsuit only after repeated efforts to "educate and negotiate with the two websites failed".

Since November of 2013, the NMPA has sent notices to 50 lyric websites it claimed were unlicensed, but makes money from advertising.

So far, only 11 of the 50 have complied and obtained the required licenses. Eleven others have removed their infringing content from the sites, and the remaining 26 sites are still are still in discussions.

"Litigation is a last step," NMPA president David Israelite said in a statement. "Our goal is to insure that lyric sites and songwriters become partners through licensing... This is not a campaign against personal blogs, fan sites, or the many websites that provide lyrics legally. We are targeting sites that engage in blatant illegal behavior, which impacts a songwriter’s ability to make a living.”