Eminem’s music publisher has filed a lawsuit against Meta, alleging the tech giant improperly used the rapper’s songs across its platforms without proper licensing.
Ferndale-based Eight Mile Style filed the copyright infringement suit Friday in Detroit federal court, accusing Meta of distributing Eminem tracks in its music libraries for public use in posts and videos, Detroit Free Press reports. The suit, which doesn’t name Em as a direct party, cites the unauthorized use of 243 Eminem compositions, including hits like “’Till I Collapse” and “Lose Yourself.”
The lawsuit claims that despite previous requests to remove Eminem’s music, instrumental and karaoke versions remain available and have been used in millions of videos viewed billions of times. While Eminem himself is not a direct party, Eight Mile Style argues Meta “actively encourages” users to feature the songs by offering them in curated sections like “For You” and “Trending.”
The company alleges Meta accessed the tracks through a 2020 deal with digital rights firm Audiam, which Eight Mile Style claims lacked authorization to license the music. The rapper’s music has been used “across millions of videos, which have been viewed billions of times,” the lawsuit reads.
Eight Mile Style seeks monetary damages based on Meta’s advertising profits or statutory copyright damages, and demands a permanent injunction against future use of Eminem’s music.
“Meta’s years-long and ongoing infringement … is another case of a trillion-dollar company exploiting the creative efforts of musical artists,” the suit says.
Eight Mile Style has a history of copyright litigation, including past disputes with Apple, Spotify, and a settled 2013 suit against Facebook. Meta declined to comment on the current case.
Earleir this month, a man who twice broke into Eminem’s Michigan home has been convicted of first-degree home invasion and aggravated stalking. The jury found Matthew David Hughes guilty after his second trespassing incident in August.
