Matt Hobbs has sued LG and Kroger over alleged unlicensed use of “Cheese Tax” on TikTok, seeking damages for infringement of both the recording and the composition.
The Georgia-based singer-songwriter filed the complaints yesterday in a California federal court. LG also faces claims involving copyright information attached to the material.
The song and Kroger’s alleged use
Hobbs created Puppy Songs, a collection of nearly 200 original songs about life with a dog. He wrote, recorded and released the minute-long “Cheese Tax” in February 2023.
The complaints say the track went viral on TikTok. It currently has 4.05 million streams on Spotify.
Hobbs alleges that Kroger used the song without a licence. TikTok’s pre-cleared music library permits personal use rather than commercial use, and the Kroger complaint says “Cheese Tax” was never in its Commercial Music Library.
According to the complaint, Hobbs discovered Kroger’s post in December 2025 and sent a cease-and-desist letter in March 2026. Kroger allegedly removed the video the following month.
The removal did not resolve the dispute. Hobbs is pursuing claims of direct infringement involving the sound recording and underlying composition.
Additional claims against LG
The complaints state that @vito.the.boxer, an account apparently documenting a boxer dog named Vito, had neither the right to license the works nor permission to use them commercially.
LG faces direct infringement claims and two additional counts under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
Hobbs alleges that LG supplied false copyright management information (CMI) by presenting the video and song as its own when uploading them to TikTok.
He also alleges that LG intentionally removed or altered that information by downloading the clip and uploading it again without his identifying information.
Damages sought and earlier cases
Hobbs is seeking the following relief from both defendants:
- Actual damages or statutory damages for infringement of the composition and recording.
- The statutory maximum of $150,000 per work for willful infringement.
Other companies facing similar social media infringement claims since the start of 2026 include Ray-Ban owner EssilorLuxottica, Quince and Kroger. Major labels brought most, but not all, of those actions.
In April, Hobbs also sued Land O’Lakes and Arby’s owner Inspire Brands over videos allegedly containing “Cheese Tax.” Hobbs and Inspire Brands resolved their case last month.
