Report: Miami Heat Among 14 NBA Teams Sued for Allegedly Using Copyrighted Music

The Miami Heat find themselves among more than a dozen NBA teams facing a lawsuit for allegedly using copyrighted music in their promotional videos without proper authorization.

The full list of teams involved in the legal action, as reported by Law360, includes the Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, and San Antonio Spurs, alongside the Heat.

These NBA franchises are being accused of embedding copyrighted music in promotional content uploaded to platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X (formerly known as Twitter).

The lawsuits, filed earlier this week and led by Artist Publishing Group and Kobalt Music Publishing America Inc., claim that these teams were “acutely aware of the protections” provided by copyright law. Each franchise is now facing three claims: direct copyright infringement, contributory copyright infringement, and vicarious copyright infringement.

Turning to basketball matters, the Miami Heat recently concluded a 2023-24 campaign that many fans might prefer to forget. After an impressive run to the NBA Finals in 2023, the team’s 2024 playoff journey was notably less successful.

Miami’s postseason was cut short when they lost in the first round to the Boston Celtics, who eventually went on to win the title, in a five-game series.

It’s important to note that the Heat were grappling with significant injuries at the onset of the first round. Star player Jimmy Butler was sidelined by an MCL injury, causing him to miss the entire series. Additionally, Terry Rozier was absent due to a neck injury, missing all five playoff games against Boston.

The Heat managed a single victory against the Celtics in Game 2, during which they hit an impressive 23 three-pointers to even the series at one game each. However, the team then dropped the next three games consecutively.

Heat fans would do well to keep an eye on the unfolding legal situation, as potential repercussions for the organization could emerge in the future.