Crumbl Cookies Lawsuit, Warner Music Wants $24 Million — Here’s the Full Story

Crumbl Cookies, the giant-cookie chain famous for its rotating weekly menu, is facing a lawsuit that has nothing to do with the cookies themselves. Warner Music Group sued Crumbl in April 2025 for up to $24 million, claiming the brand used 159 copyrighted songs in its social media videos without paying for them. The case is active, no settlement has been announced, and everyday consumers cannot file a claim.

Quick Facts

Field	Detail
Case Name	Warner Music Group et al. v. Crumbl LLC
Court	U.S. District Court, District of Utah
Date Filed	April 22, 2025
Who Is Suing	Warner Music Group (Atlantic Records, Bad Boy Records, and others)
Who Is Being Sued	Crumbl LLC
Amount Sought	Up to $23.85 million
Settlement Status	Active litigation — no settlement announced
Claim Deadline	N/A — this is not a consumer class action
Consumer Impact	Crumbl customers cannot file for money from this lawsuit

Where the Case Stands as of April 2026

• The lawsuit was filed in April 2025 and remains in active litigation. No trial date, settlement announcement, or dismissal has been reported as of this update.
• Crumbl issued a brief statement saying it is reviewing the matter and will “respond appropriately through the legal process.” The company has not publicly contested or accepted the allegations.
• Legal experts who commented at the time of filing noted that cases like this almost always settle privately, meaning the final amount — if any — will likely never be made public.

How Crumbl Built 16 Million Followers With Music It Allegedly Never Paid For

Warner Music Group filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in Utah federal court on April 22, 2025, against Crumbl Cookies, alleging the dessert brand built its business through what the complaint described as willful and repeated copyright infringement.

The lawsuit claims that Crumbl used at least 159 sound recordings by Warner artists including Dua Lipa, BTS, Taylor Swift, Lizzo, and Beyoncé without consent, and Warner Music counted 286 separate instances where these recordings appeared in Crumbl videos.

According to the lawsuit, Crumbl has built a substantial social media presence with 9.8 million TikTok followers and 6.1 million Instagram followers, and WMG claims that Crumbl’s videos are synchronized to audio tracks that typically run the full length of the videos and include the most recognizable portions of the songs — hooks and choruses.

The TikTok Loophole That Isn’t Actually a Loophole

Many Crumbl fans seeing this story for the first time are confused: isn’t music on TikTok free to use? The answer is no — not for brands.

Just because a platform lets you add popular music to a post doesn’t mean you have the rights to use it for commercial purposes. While everyday users can access tracks through tools on TikTok or Instagram, those permissions typically don’t cover branded content.

The lawsuit also argued that Crumbl represented the music as “original audio” when it was copyrighted, and noted that both TikTok and Instagram explicitly forbid unauthorized use of copyrighted music. In other words, Crumbl wasn’t just using the songs — the complaint says the company was labeling them as its own.

The Cease-and-Desist Crumbl Allegedly Ignored — Then Joked About

What makes this case harder for Crumbl is the paper trail Warner Music built before ever filing in court.

WMG sent a cease-and-desist letter to Crumbl in 2023, but WMG states that Crumbl allegedly did not respond, and even later posted a video on TikTok that stated “legal said we can’t use any trending audios.”

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Months after receiving the cease-and-desist letter, Crumbl not only continued to use many of the infringing videos but also posted new infringing content, according to the complaint.

Warner’s complaint also pointed to Crumbl’s own history of aggressively pursuing copyright and trademark claims against competitors like Dirty Dough and Crave Cookies, arguing Crumbl understood exactly how infringement works. That detail is significant because it undercuts any argument that Crumbl acted innocently.

The Songs Were Matched to the Cookies — Deliberately, Warner Says

This wasn’t just background music. The complaint alleges the pairings were intentional and strategic.

According to the lawsuit, the company paired music thematically with its products — for example, using “Blueberry Faygo” by Lil Mosey to promote a blueberry cheesecake cookie, and using “Butter” by BTS to promote a Kentucky Butter Cake cookie.

Another video promoting yellow sugar cookies featured Coldplay’s “Yellow,” which Warner’s complaint argued showed Crumbl recognized music’s marketing power while declining to obtain the necessary licenses.

What Warner Is Actually Asking the Court to Do

WMG is seeking up to $150,000 in statutory damages for each infringed work, which could total up to $23.85 million if the court grants the maximum penalty for all 159 works cited. Warner is also seeking a permanent injunction to prevent Crumbl from any further infringement.

However, legal experts noted at the time of filing that these cases usually settle, and that the final amount — if any — will likely be an undisclosed figure the public never learns.

The Separate Lawsuit That Does Affect Crumbl Customers Directly

While the Warner Music case doesn’t involve consumers as claimants, a different lawsuit filed in 2025 does. A class action complaint was filed against Crumbl LLC in the Eastern District of Michigan, alleging the company sent promotional text messages to phone numbers listed on the National Do Not Call Registry in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

The proposed class covers all U.S. persons who did not provide their phone number to Crumbl, received more than one text message within a 12-month period promoting Crumbl goods or services, and whose number had been on the Do Not Call Registry for at least 30 days before receiving those messages — going back four years from the date of filing.

This case is also in early litigation. No settlement or claim process has opened as of April 2026.

Important Dates

Milestone	Date
WMG Cease-and-Desist Sent	April 3, 2023
Warner Music Lawsuit Filed	April 22, 2025
Crumbl TCPA Text-Message Suit Filed	June 2025
Settlement Announced	TBD
Claim Deadline	TBD
Expected Resolution	TBD

Frequently Asked Questions

I’m a Crumbl customer — can I file a claim and get money from the Warner Music lawsuit? 

No. The Warner Music lawsuit is between two companies — Warner Music Group and Crumbl LLC. It is not a consumer class action. Everyday Crumbl customers have no role in the case and cannot file a claim for money from it.

Is there any Crumbl lawsuit where I could actually get money?

 Possibly. A separate class action filed in June 2025 claims Crumbl sent illegal promotional texts to people on the National Do Not Call Registry. If you received unwanted texts from Crumbl and your number was on the Do Not Call list, that case may be relevant to you — though no claim process has opened yet.

Does Warner Music Group have a strong case? 

The complaint includes a cease-and-desist letter that Crumbl allegedly ignored, evidence that infringing videos stayed up after notification, and a TikTok post where Crumbl’s own team acknowledged the music restrictions. Legal experts noted that combination creates significant difficulty for Crumbl’s defense — though courts have not ruled on the merits yet.

Do I need a lawyer to follow this case? 

No. You can monitor the docket publicly through PACER (the federal court records system) or follow news coverage. If a consumer settlement ever opens, claim processes are typically straightforward and free to complete.

Will this lawsuit affect Crumbl stores or the weekly cookie menu?

 Nothing in the current proceedings affects Crumbl’s retail operations or menu. The lawsuit seeks money damages and a ban on unlicensed music use — not a shutdown of the business.

When will this case be resolved?

 Copyright infringement cases between well-resourced companies often settle within one to two years of filing. Given that the lawsuit was filed in April 2025, a resolution could come in 2026 — but there is no confirmed timeline.

Is this lawsuit legitimate? 

Yes. Warner Music Group v. Crumbl LLC is a real federal lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah on April 22, 2025, and is publicly accessible through court records.

What if I signed up for Crumbl texts without realizing what I agreed to? 

The TCPA class action specifically focuses on people who did not provide their phone number to Crumbl and still received marketing texts. If you consented to receive messages when creating an account or making a purchase, you likely fall outside the proposed class.

Last Updated: April 2, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal claims and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. For advice regarding a particular situation, consult a qualified attorney.