Valve Faces Lawsuit for Using Music on Steam Without a Licence
- Sagar Mankar
- 7 minutes ago
- 2 min read
PRS for Music has filed a lawsuit against Valve Corporation, accusing the company of using its members' music across Steam games without ever obtaining the proper licensing rights.
The UK-based music licensing body represents songwriters, composers, and music publishers, and it claims Valve has never secured a licence for the music managed under its umbrella.
Several major titles available on Steam are named in the dispute. PRS called out high-profile series like Forza Horizon, FIFA/EA FC, and Grand Theft Auto as examples of games incorporating its members' musical works.
It is worth noting that Valve did not develop any of these games. The complaint is solely about the platform's role in making them available without the appropriate rights in place.
PRS says it spent many years trying to resolve the matter directly with Valve before escalating things legally. Those efforts were met with a lack of meaningful engagement from Valve's side. That is ultimately what pushed PRS to file proceedings under the UK's Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988.
The organisation has made its position clear. Legal action will continue unless Valve steps up and agrees to licensing terms, both for past use and going forward.
In a statement (via GI.biz), Dan Gopal, chief commercial officer at PRS for Music, said, "Our members create music that enhances experiences and PRS exists to protect the value of their work with integrity, transparency, and fairness. Legal proceedings are not a step we take lightly, but when a business's actions undermine those principles, we have a duty to act."
"Great video games rely on great soundtracks, and the songwriters and creators behind them deserve to have their contribution recognised and fairly valued."
The timing is notable because Valve is already dealing with a growing pile of legal trouble. A £656 million antitrust lawsuit in the UK was greenlit in January 2025, and more recently, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a separate lawsuit against the company over loot boxes in Counter-Strike 2, Team Fortress 2, and Dota 2.