Broadcasters take TikTok to court over copyright violations
Israeli lawsuit claims users upload full shows and sports clips, while platform looks away.
A lawsuit seeking NIS 2.6 million (approximately $800,000) in damages was filed on Sunday with the Tel Aviv District Court against TikTok Israel and TikTok Global by a group of Israel’s leading media and production organizations, alleging widespread copyright infringement.
The lawsuit was filed by Zira Copyrights, an umbrella organization representing major Israeli broadcasting and production companies, including Yes, HOT, Charlton, Keshet Broadcasting, and the Sports Channel. According to the filing, “TikTok is effectively becoming a competing content platform in terms of rights ownership.”
Filed through attorneys Eran Presenti and Yael Litvin of the Firon law firm, the complaint claims the plaintiffs hold copyrights to a wide range of audiovisual works, and that TikTok enables the uploading, sharing, and distribution of their original content without authorization.
The plaintiffs allege that TikTok “turns a blind eye” to user violations unless a formal complaint is filed, and even then, content removal is handled “with extraordinary slowness, if at all.” Despite possessing the technological means to detect violations, TikTok allegedly fails to employ effective monitoring or filtering tools to prevent such infringements.
The lawsuit cites reports that as of September 2025, TikTok has 1.59 billion monthly active users, including millions in Israel who consume content “without restriction and free of charge.”
“TikTok’s profits likely rise in tandem with the volume of content and users on the platform,” the plaintiffs wrote. “Unfortunately, the defendants allow users to upload copyrighted material, including our content, without permission.”
While TikTok began as a platform for user-generated short videos, users now frequently upload material that is not their own. “For example,” the lawsuit claims, “users take an episode of a television series, divide it into short clips, and make full episodes, even entire seasons, publicly available.” The plaintiffs argue that this form of pirated consumption is spreading rapidly, causing mounting damage to rights holders.
The complaint also highlights the widespread uploading of sports content, much of it owned by the plaintiffs, which has become immensely popular on the app.
According to the lawsuit, TikTok profits from the availability of infringing content, including through advertisements for piracy-related services. The platform, the plaintiffs argue, has all the necessary tools, including advanced algorithms used to detect pornographic, hateful, or policy-violating content, but fails to apply them to copyright enforcement.
The plaintiffs further claim that TikTok’s “notice and takedown” mechanism operates slowly, often taking weeks to remove infringing material even after formal requests. They also accuse TikTok of enabling advertising and marketing of illegal television services.
The lawsuit seeks both financial compensation and a permanent injunction ordering TikTok to remove infringing content, prevent future uploads, and provide a detailed accounting of the volume, reach, and financial value of the copyrighted material.
No defense has yet been filed.
Notably, a similar NIS 2.6 million lawsuit was filed about six months ago by several broadcasters against Meta, alleging comparable copyright violations and delayed removal of pirated content.
Zira said: “We expect the digital giants to take responsibility for the content they distribute, not as part of a struggle, but as a necessary partnership in protecting local creation and creators. Our duty is to stop the damage being done to Israel’s content industry and to ensure that rights holders can continue to create, innovate, and make a living with dignity.”
A TikTok spokesperson said: “TikTok is prevented from commenting on ongoing legal proceedings.”
