Photo Credit: Markus Winkler
Universal Music Group and Concord sue fashion startup Quince for “rampant and brazen” copyright infringement on social media posts.
Universal Music Group (UMG) and Concord Music Group, along with Capitol Records and six Universal Music Publishing entities, have filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against popular direct-to-consumer fashion startup Quince.
According to the filing, Quince has used over 130 copyrighted works—including 67 sound recordings and 71 musical compositions—that were allegedly used without authorization in TikTok and Instagram posts.
The music labels claim this infringement is “rampant and brazen,” and spans work by major artists, including Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Lana Del Rey, Ariana Grande, ABBA, Fleetwood Mac, Drake, Britney Spears, Coldplay, and Diana Ross.
UMG and Concord assert that the infringement is deliberate, noting that Quince was formally notified of the violations in September 2024. Despite claims from Quince’s counsel that the issues were “fully addressed,” UMG discovered new infringing posts as recently as March 2026.
Quince was founded in 2018 and has built its brand extensively through social media marketing and paid influencer campaigns. The company raised a $500 million Series E round in March with a $10.1 billion valuation, and Quince says its annual revenue has surpassed $1 billion.
The labels’ complaint points out that Quince’s head of brand (formerly of Spotify) has stated that “because Quince isn’t getting behind a logo or brand name” it relies on influencers and word of mouth to spread the word about its products. To that end, the company works with approximately 300 content creators a month.
Further, the labels assert that Quince “recognizes the importance of music in its advertising” and has reposted influencers’ paid content but replaced the original music used with copyrighted music.
“Quince surely is aware that its conduct constitutes copyright infringement, given that it is a sophisticated, multi-billion-dollar global operation,” the filing reads. “Quince was notified that it was infringing Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works over a year ago. Nevertheless, Quince continues to infringe. Quince’s infringement is therefore willful and deliberate.”
Altogether, the lawsuit includes four counts of direct copyright infringement, as well as contributory and vicarious infringement. The music companies are seeking statutory damages of $150,000 per infringed work, actual damages, profits, and attorneys’ fees, as well as a permanent injunction.
