Judge upholds Apple delisting of free Musi app that streams songs from YouTube

Musi, a popular free music streaming application that had achieved millions of downloads on iPhones, faced a major setback in its legal battle against Apple. A federal judge has dismissed the lawsuit filed by Musi, which sought to challenge its removal from the App Store, ruling against the app with prejudice and imposing sanctions on its legal team for allegedly fabricating facts to support their claims. The controversy surrounding Musi stems from its reliance on streaming music from YouTube without obtaining licenses from copyright owners. In its 2024 lawsuit, Musi contended that its app enhances user interaction with YouTube's content through its unique technology. The app had a model that included advertisements, which users could eliminate for a one-time fee of $5.99. Despite Musi's assertions that it complied with YouTube's terms, Apple removed the app from its platform in September 2024. Musi claimed that the delisting was based on unfounded intellectual property allegations from YouTube and that Apple breached its own Developer Program License Agreement (DPLA). However, US District Judge Eumi Lee delivered a firm ruling affirming Apple's right to remove apps from its store. In her decision, Judge Lee clarified that the DPLA explicitly allows Apple to cease marketing and offering apps at any time, regardless of cause, as long as they provide notice. The ruling stated that Musi had received the required notice before its removal, thus affirming Apple's actions were within their rights under the agreement. Although Musi argued that Apple should have adhered to additional provisions regarding intellectual property concerns, the court upheld Apple's authority to manage its App Store as it sees fit.