A French trade group representing authors and screenwriters has filed a lawsuit against TikTok, accusing the platform of using protected works without permission or adequate compensation.
The Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers (SACD), which represents around 60,000 writers for cinema, TV, theatre, and comedy, confirmed it had filed the suit in Paris on Thursday.
“TikTok has, for many years, been using protected works from the SACD repertoire without any authorisation and has never offered acceptable compensation… nor has it removed the works we asked it to,” the SACD said.
The group cited examples including dialogues or excerpts from French films such as “Asterix and Obelix” and “Brice de Nice”, as well as animated series and comedy sketches. SACD said it had tried four years of discussions with the platform before deciding to pursue legal action, seeking redress for losses suffered by the authors.
The SACD also called on TikTok to disclose its financial figures to assess the amount owed to copyright holders.
TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has its European headquarters in Ireland and faces growing regulatory scrutiny in Europe. Earlier this year, the platform was fined €530 million by the EU for unlawfully transferring Europeans’ personal data to China.
A first hearing in the case is scheduled for March 18, 2026.
TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the lawsuit.
