Music Publishers Call Peloton’s Antitrust Counterclaims Baseless

The National Music Publishers’ Association and 15 companies accusing Peloton Interactive Inc. of copyright infringement say the exercise giant’s antitrust counterclaims are meritless.

The $150 million lawsuit accuses Peloton, which offers live-streamed and prerecorded spin classes through screens attached to stationary bikes, of building a $4 billion “music-centric brand” using copyrighted songs it doesn’t have permission to play. The NMPA isn’t a party to the infringement claims.

“Having no defense to its copyright infringement, Peloton resorts to the timeworn tactic of asserting a baseless antitrust counterclaim,” the NMPA and music publishers say in their June 24 motion to dismiss.

Peloton’s ...