Sony Music Sues Kroger Over Alleged Copyright Infringement in Social Media Ads
Sony Music Sues Kroger Over 392 Alleged Unauthorized Uses of Sound Recordings in Social Media Ads
Sony Music Entertainment and affiliated labels filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against The Kroger Co. and 19 subsidiary entities in the U.S.
The Tech TL;DR:
- The Incident: Sony Music sued Kroger on August 21, alleging 392 instances of unlicensed sound recording usage in social media and influencer marketing across multiple corporate banners.
Mapping the Digital Asset Exposure Across Kroger Subsidiaries
According to the complaint filed in the Central District of California, the lawsuit names 19 corporate entities operating under various banners. These include Ralphs, Mariano’s, Harris Teeter, Fred Meyer Jewelers, King Soopers, Murray’s Cheese, Ruler Foods, and Home Chef. The filing attributes the largest volume of alleged infringements to Mariano’s with at least 99 videos, Kroger corporate accounts with 76, and Murray’s Cheese with 70.
Sony Music’s legal filing states that Kroger disclosed advertising expenditures of approximately $1.18 billion in its 2025 fiscal year ending January 2026. The complaint argues that the scale of this ad spend confirms the alleged infringement was willful, asserting that the company devoted substantial resources to marketing while omitting payments for the underlying sound recordings.
Historical Licensing Precedents and Expired Campaign Windows
The core of Sony’s legal argument relies on the established licensing history between the two corporations. Sony Music states that The Kroger Co. executed at least 14 licenses with the major label from 2017 through 2025, covering ad campaigns that explicitly extended to internet and social media platforms. Because Kroger previously negotiated and paid for these authorizations, the complaint asserts that the defendants cannot claim ignorance of copyright requirements.
A central exhibit in the litigation involves a seven-week license granted to Kroger for The Lovin’ Spoonful’s track “Do You Believe in Magic” during a 2020 holiday campaign. The agreement ran from November 13, 2020, to December 31, 2020. Sony alleges that seven Kroger-affiliated brands—City Market, Baker’s, Dillons, King Soopers, Fry’s Food Stores, Pick ’n Save, and Ralphs—retained their respective campaign videos in a publicly viewable state after the term expired. Court documents note that one Ralphs video remained accessible as recently as August 17, 2026.
Sony Music states it notified Kroger regarding the violations starting June 30, 2025, and documented new unauthorized content uploads as recently as August 12, 2026. Following failed discussions regarding a tolling agreement to facilitate settlement talks, Sony initiated formal litigation.
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