Activision sues Anthony Fantano for ‘misusing’ IP laws after demanding payment for TikTok audio
Activision/Anthony FantanoActivision is suing Anthony Fantano for “misusing” IP laws after the music critic demanded payment for usage of his TikTok audio.
Anthony Fantano, a well-known YouTuber who runs The Needle Drop channel, has been heralded as one of the most influential music critics of our generation. However, the popular critic is now being sued by Activision.
In a lawsuit filed by the game publisher, they are suing Fantano for misusing intellectual property laws after he demanded payment for Activision’s usage of his viral TikTok audio in one of the company’s TikTok posts.
The “it’s enough slices” TikTok video was created by Fantano, which has now become a popular audio on the platform. This is what Activision used in a TikTok post where they showed off a pair of custom Crash Bandicoot sneakers.
According to Activision’s statement in the lawsuit, “in an apparent effort to even further profit from the Slices Video, Fantano has embarked on a scheme whereby he selectively threatens to sue certain users of the Slices Audio unless they pay him extortionate amounts of money for their alleged use.”
Activision claims that when Fantano uploaded the Slices video on TikTok, the audio became available for use by the public, according to TikTok’s terms and services.
Activision says that Fantano’s demands started around June 2023 when he asked Activision to take down the video as he felt it infringed on his publicity rights.
According to the lawsuit, “Fantano suddenly decided that Activision’s video infringed his publicity rights and constituted a false endorsement. Moreover, even though Activision agreed to remove its video from TikTok, Fantano demanded that Activision either immediately pay him substantial monetary damages or be prepared to defend a lawsuit.”
Activision further states of Fantano’s payment demands, “no reasonable consumer would mistakenly believe that Fantano – who admits that users have no idea the Slices Audio features his voice – sponsored or endorsed Activision or its video merely because the Slices audio was included in that video.”
As of writing, Anthony Fantano has not made a public statement on the lawsuit, however, we will update you here if there are any changes.
