Eight Mile Style, the publishing company that holds the rights to 243 Eminem songs, filed a lawsuit alleging copyright infringement against Meta, parent company of Instagram and Facebook.
What the Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Claims
Eight Mile Style, in their lawsuit against Meta, alleges widespread copyright violations involving the rapper’s musical catalog. Filed in Detroit federal court, the lawsuit claims that Meta has been using 243 Eminem compositions without authorization across its digital platforms.
Rampant Copyright Infringement
Eight Mile Style, which holds publishing rights to 243 Eminem tracks, has filed a federal lawsuit against Meta Platforms, accusing the social media conglomerate of unauthorized use of the rapper’s music across Instagram and Facebook. The company alleges “rampant infringement” through Meta’s music libraries, claiming the songs have been used in millions of videos viewed billions of times without proper licensing.
The lawsuit characterizes Meta’s actions as exploitation of musical creativity by a massive corporation. Meta has not issued any public response to the allegations.
Digital Rights Company Lacks Authority to Distribute Eminem’s Music
The legal complaint traces the infringement to a 2020 licensing agreement between Meta and digital rights company Audiam, which Eight Mile Style claims lacked proper authority to distribute Eminem’s music. The lawsuit states that Meta knew that there was no valid license for the compositions but continued to make them available to its online users.
Meta Allegedly Encourages Illegal Use of Eminem Songs
Although some of Eminem’s music has been removed, karaoke and instrumental versions still exist on the platform, allegedly used in millions of videos. What’s more, the lawsuit states that Meta encourages the use of the Eminem tracks by including them in popular curated areas like “Trending” and “For You.”
Company Seeks Financial Damages
The publisher is pursuing financial compensation, potentially $150,000 per work across 243 songs and three platforms, plus compensation for copyright devaluation and lost profits. They are also seeking a court order to permanently block future unauthorized use of the artist’s work.
Eight Mile Style vs. Spotify
This legal action follows Eight Mile Style’s recent unsuccessful lawsuit against Spotify, where a Tennessee judge dismissed their claims and criticized the company for attempting to exploit copyright laws for excessive financial gain rather than serving legitimate interests.