Spotify’s fight with independent music publisher Bluewater Music Services Corporation over copyright infringement is set to continue after a Tennessee court rejected the streaming giant’s request to toss the complaint. The lawsuit, which reportedly carries potential damages up to $321 million, first began last July and involves Bluewater citing more than 2,300 examples they believe to be deliberate copyright infringement.
The original suit explains why Bluewater is seeking such high restitution, fearing that too gentle of a punishment will not incentivize major companies like Spotify to rethink their approach to copyrights.
“In light of the willful actions of Spotify, including willful blindness, anything less than the maximum of $150,000 statutory damage award for each of the Infringed Works involved herein would encourage infringement, amount to a slap on the wrist, and reward a multi-billion dollar company, about to go public, that rules the streaming market through a pattern of willful infringement on a staggering scale,” the document read.