Universal Music Group (UMG) and investment platform Republic have reached a settlement in their three-year trademark dispute. The conflict began when OpenDeal's Republic platform expanded into music NFTs in October 2021.

Republic, a financial technology company offering private market investment services, launched music NFT projects featuring artists like Lil Pump and KSHMR. UMG, parent company of Republic Records, demanded the platform change its name for music-related services, but OpenDeal declined.

The parties reached a settlement during an in-person conference on December 11th, 2024. The judge dismissed the case without costs and without prejudice, allowing 60 days to reopen if the settlement isn't completed. While specific terms remain private, Republic's music-investments page continues to operate under a modified web address.

The platform has since changed its domain from .co to .com. Meanwhile, Universal Music faces other legal challenges, including:

• A $200 million royalty lawsuit from Limp Bizkit and others, which UMG dismissed as "fiction"
• A lawsuit against TuneCore and Believe for alleged copyright infringement involving unauthorized altered versions of protected recordings

Both cases remain active as of December 2024.

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