'Cheese Tax' Singer Sues Kroger and LG Over TikTok Ad Use
The musician behind TikTok's viral "Cheese Tax" has sued Kroger and LG Electronics over the song. Matthew Hobbs filed a pair of copyright infringement lawsuits on Oct. 19, alleging both companies used the track in TikTok videos without permission. Billboard obtained and first reported the filings.
Hobbs is the writer behind "Cheese Tax" and posts original music about dogs on the TikTok page Puppy Songs to more than 800,000 followers. The song went viral in March 2023. It has since been featured in tens of thousands of user videos on the platform.
The cases turn on business use. The lawsuits allege Kroger and LG included "Cheese Tax" in brand TikToks without buying synch licences, the paid permission needed to pair music with advertising. Hobbs says his music has never been in TikTok's commercial music library, the catalogue of tracks cleared for brands to use.
That distinction matters. Ordinary fans can pick a viral sound for a personal post. Companies need a separate licence when that song sells something.
The details differ by company. The suit against Kroger claims the supermarket chain played "Cheese Tax" in a March 2023 social media advertisement. The suit against LG claims the electronics maker used it that same month as the soundtrack for a video of a dog next to an open refrigerator sold by the brand.
Both videos came down in April after Hobbs's lawyers sent legal demands, according to the suits. The claim against Kroger still argues the video remained publicly available on the retailer's commercial TikTok page for more than three years without licence or authorisation.
Hobbs seeks financial damages from both companies for copyright infringement. From LG he seeks additional damages for unauthorised removal of copyright management information, the embedded data that identifies a work's owner. He wants payment.
The filings follow another case against Kroger. Sony Music sued the retailer in August over unauthorised TikTok and Instagram posts featuring songs by Harry Styles, Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus and SZA, Billboard reported.
What makes this stand out is scale. A one-person catalogue of dog songs faces two global companies. For fans, this means the dispute is not about who can sing along. It is about who can sell with it.
