Warner Music Group (WMG) has filed a lawsuit against the parent company of Ray Ban, alleging that it used hundreds of the label’s copyrighted works in social media advertising without obtaining permission or paying licensing fees.
The complaint, obtained by Billboard, accuses Italian eyewear giant EssilorLuxottica of infringing 427 copyrights owned by WMG.
The music company is seeking the maximum statutory damages of $150,000 (£114,000) for each work, bringing its total claim to $64 million (£48.5 million).
According to WMG, EssilorLuxottica, which owns Ray Ban, Oakley and Sunglass Hut, has repeatedly used unlicensed music in promotional videos shared with its combined audience of more than 36 million followers across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
The advertisements allegedly feature recordings by WMG artists including Charli and Dua Lipa, alongside compositions by Drake, Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Travis Scott.
The lawsuit claims the advertisements have been "wildly successful" at promoting sunglasses and have generated billions of dollars for the company.
"Defendants used the Plaintiffs' copyrighted works to build their brand profiles and drive sales without paying any compensation to Plaintiffs," reads the lawsuit.
"Defendants not only failed to pay for the use of Plaintiffs' copyrighted works, but by including these works in the Luxottica videos without Plaintiffs' consent, Defendants deprived Plaintiffs and their artists and songwriters of the ability to control how and where their art is used."
In recent years, music companies have stepped up legal action against brands accused of using unlicensed music in social media content. Although platforms such as Instagram and TikTok have general music licences that allow individual users to add songs to their videos, businesses typically need to obtain a separate synchronisation licence for commercial use.
Other brands, including Chili's, Marriott and Designer Shoe Warehouse, have reached settlements in legal disputes involving similar allegations.
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