As Peloton Prepares for IPO, Music Publishers Seek to Double Trial at $ 300 Million



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NEW YORK (Reuters) – Music publishers have asked a federal judge to double their lawsuit against Peloton Interactive Inc. to $ 300 million, saying the stationary bicycle manufacturer has released more than 2,000 videos. used without permission.

FILE PHOTO: 2019 MTV Video Music Awards – Arrivals – Prudential Center, Newark, NJ, USA, August 26, 2019 – Taylor Swift. REUTERS / Andrew Kelly / Photo File

The National Music Publishers' Association, a professional group, said Friday that since Peloton had been sued in March for copyright infringement, publishers have discovered a treasure trove of additional songs that the new company York has knowingly and recklessly offered to its customers without first obtaining the required licenses. .

These included songs by Adele, Beyonce, Ariana Grande, John Legend, Maroon 5, Meek Mill, and Taylor Swift, as well as classics such as "I saw Beatles standing," "Georgia." On My Mind "by Ray Charles. and The Who, that's what I can see for miles. Publishers want to add 1,324 songs to their trial, said the professional group.

"Platoon fully understood the requirements of the Copyright Act, after licensing with some other copyright holders, while flouting the rights of the plaintiffs by using their musical works for free and without authorization, "the editors said in an amended complaint proposal filed late Thursday.

US District Judge Denise Cote in Manhattan must agree before publishers can continue.

The proposed lawsuit was filed two days after Peloton announced its intention to raise up to $ 1.33 billion during an initial public offering, proposing $ 46 million in cash. 39, shares priced between 26 and 29 dollars each.

Peloton said that its platform could only be developed through "close collaboration" with leading music labels and publishers, among others.

"We will continue to defend ourselves against the demands made in this case and hope to pursue our counterclaims," ​​the company said in a statement.

On Friday, in a lawsuit, Peloton's lawyers asked Mr. Cote to hold a conference to address the purported failure of publishers and the NMPA to hand over the relevant documents to his file, claiming that the parties were in a "deadlock" ".

Founded in 2012, Peloton sells stationary bikes starting at $ 2,245, in packages that require membership to access on-demand and live-to-home classes. Unlimited access costs $ 39 a month.

The case concerns Downtown Music Publishing LLC et al. Peloton Interactive Inc, US District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 19-02426.

Report by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Edited by Tom Brownand Leslie Adler

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