Warner Music Group has sued Luxottica Group S.p.A., the owner of Ray-Ban and Oakley, in a United States federal court over the alleged use of at least 427 Warner-controlled works in social media posts.
The lawsuit was filed on October 9 in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York against Luxottica Group S.p.A. and five affiliated companies. The other defendants are Luxottica of America, Oakley, Costa Del Mar, Eye Buy Direct, and Chapter 4 Corp., according to the court docket.
The law firm representing Warner, Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel (ECBAWM), announced the suit. It said the complaint alleges that Luxottica’s brands set their social media videos to Warner-controlled music repeatedly, without a license and without paying Warner.
The works allegedly used include recordings and compositions by Miley Cyrus, Led Zeppelin, Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Charli xcx, and Fleetwood Mac.
The complaint also accuses Luxottica of knowingly pressing ahead even though Instagram, Meta, TikTok, and YouTube each tell users that a license is required before copyrighted music appears in a post, according to ECBAWM.
Claims and scope#
ECBAWM said the case alleges willful infringement, a finding that, if made, raises the damages a court can award. Luxottica’s brands have a combined 36.14 million followers across social media platforms, according to the firm.
The complaint describes Warner’s music as an "essential and inseparable component" of the brands’ videos, ECBAWM said. It argues that the music helped Luxottica’s brands sell products and raise their profile, with no money going to Warner, and that the unlicensed use left Warner, its artists, and its songwriters with no say over where their music ended up.
The suit lists 23 plaintiffs, including Atlantic Music Group, Warner Records, Elektra, 300 Entertainment, and Warner Chappell Music.
ECBAWM describes the case as a claim against EssilorLuxottica and its affiliated companies. It describes Luxottica as one of the world’s biggest eyewear companies, owning more than 150 brands including Ray-Ban, Oakley, Costa Del Mar, Oliver Peoples, and Sunglass Hut.
The announcement does not specify a damages figure or say what other remedies Warner is seeking.
Broader legal campaign#
In earlier suits against fashion retailer PacSun and cookie chain Crumbl, Warner sought damages set by law of up to USD $150,000 for each work infringed. Applied to the 427 works cited against Luxottica, that ceiling would put theoretical exposure at up to USD $64.05 million.
Warner’s PacSun complaint cited at least 290 works, and its Crumbl complaint cited at least 159. The Luxottica case is the latest in a series of suits by Warner against brands over music used in their social media marketing.
Warner sued PacSun in December 2025, pointing to rules on TikTok and Instagram that bar commercial use of music without a license. Warner and Crumbl reached an agreement in principle to settle their dispute in May, with financial terms undisclosed.
Warner’s rivals are pursuing similar claims. In April, Universal Music Group and Concord sued fashion brand Quince over music used in TikTok posts. Sony Music has settled earlier suits against Marriott Hotels and the University of Southern California over social media posts.
Music companies have also cited rulings against energy drink maker Bang Energy, in which UMG and Sony won judgments, in later complaints.
At the center of these cases is whether brands can use music from the in-app libraries on TikTok and Instagram in their own marketing. Shoe retailer DSW, which Warner sued in 2025, filed its own lawsuit against UMG, Sony, and BMG that July, asking the court to rule that it had not infringed their copyrights. DSW argued that its posts were covered by the labels’ license agreements with the platforms.
If Warner’s claims against Luxottica succeed, the case would add to the pressure on brands to license music for their marketing posts rather than rely on what the platforms supply.
