APM Music, a company jointly owned by Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing Group, has recently sued Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson for alleged copyright infringement. The lawsuit accuses Johnson & Johnson of using APM’s music in its promotional videos posted on YouTube and Facebook without proper authorization.

APM Music claims that Johnson & Johnson used 30 songs across 79 posts without permission and is seeking statutory damages of up to $150,000 per work infringed. This lawsuit adds to a growing trend of legal actions against major U.S. companies for allegedly using unlicensed music in social media promotions.

In July, 14 NBA teams had similar lawsuits from Kobalt Music Publishing, Artist Publishing Group, and others, alleging that the teams used copyrighted music in promotional videos posted on their social media channels and the official NBA website. Among the teams involved are the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves. The lawsuits seek the statutory maximum of $150,000 per violation.

Earlier in May, Sony Music Entertainment (SME) filed a lawsuit against Marriott International, accusing the hotel chain of "willful" copyright infringement in its social media content. The lawsuit seeks $140 million for violations across 913 social media posts.

In 2021, Sony sued fitness brand Gymshark for allegedly infringing on 297 recordings in its ads, with the case being settled out of court in 2022. The lawsuit sought $150,000 per violation.

In November 2023, SME sued cosmetics brand OFRA over 329 videos., accusing the company of building its success through "blatant, willful, and repeated copyright infringement" in social media posts, including the unauthorized use of "hundreds" of Sony Music’s sound recordings.