Spotify used branding of US Black cultural festival without permission, lawsuit says

Essence Festival of Culture, held annually in New Orleans, sues corporation, citing its ‘intentional exploitation of Black culture’

Spotify last year hosted an event using the branding of what is arguably the US’s largest Black cultural festival without permission, according to a lawsuit which pits the streaming giant against the organizers of the Essence Festival of Culture.

Attorneys for the festival say their lawsuit represents a stand against the “intentional exploitation of Black culture” and intellectual property by a corporation that can more than afford to pay for permission to use Essence’s branding.