A French trade group representing authors and screenwriters has filed a lawsuit against TikTok, alleging widespread copyright violations.
The Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers (SACD), a non-profit that represents roughly 60,000 writers for cinema, TV, theatre, and comedy, announced on Thursday that it had launched legal action in Paris.
“TikTok has, for many years, used protected works from the SACD repertoire without authorisation and never offered fair compensation. It also failed to remove works we requested,” SACD said in a statement.
The suit highlights the use of content from major French films such as “Asterix and Obelix”, cult comedy “Brice de Nice”, animated series, and comedy sketches.
SACD said it tried for four years to resolve the matter through discussions with TikTok. The group is now seeking legal redress for financial losses incurred by authors whose works were exploited on the platform.
The writers are also demanding transparency from TikTok regarding its financials to ensure fair compensation for copyrighted works.
TikTok, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, has its European headquarters in Ireland. The platform has faced growing regulatory scrutiny in Europe. In May, it was fined €530 million ($600 million) by the EU for illegally transferring European user data to China.
In the United States, former President Donald Trump recently brokered a deal requiring TikTok to sell its American operations to investors aligned with him.
TikTok did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment on the SACD lawsuit. The first court hearing is scheduled for March 18, 2026.
