The video app Triller is being sued by Universal Music Group over unpaid license fees. The complaint, filed in a Los Angeles court, alleges that Triller missed payments for the past nine months, violating its licensing agreement with the publishing giant. Triller has allegedly failed to produce three installments of the payment plan outlined in its contract; the video-sharing app agreed to pay nearly $3 million for licensing and past use of the UMG catalog over a period of two years, with payments required on a quarterly basis.

Universal Music Group is also alleging that Triller agreed to pay $1 million for use of its catalog by third-party advertisers or in promotional content. Triller has only three of the required six quarterly payments, but the video app allegedly made written and oral promises to heed the agreement. UMG is terminating its agreement with Triller due to these alleged breaches of contract.

This is not the first time to the two companies have had their differences. In 2021, UMG pulled its catalog from Triller, claiming they “shamefully withheld payments owed to our artists.” A spokesperson from Triller denied the allegation, claiming that they “categorically deny” that Triller had withheld any artist payments.

Triller also has its disagreements with Sony Music Entertainment, when last year they withdrew the rights to its catalog from Triller, claiming the company owed millions in royalty payments. The company sued the app for copyright infringement and breach of contract, stating that Triller failed to honor its licensing agreement’s termination. In August of last year, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland also filed a lawsuit against Triller, claiming the company still owed them $28 million after buying the webcast series Verzuz. (Pitchfork)