Eminem’s Publishing Powerhouse Battles Meta in $109 Million Lawsuit for Using His Songs Without Permission

UPDATE (June 5): 

 Eminem has released the following statement to XXL regarding 8 Mile Style's lawsuit against Meta.

"8 Mile Style is a publishing company that administers my early catalog releases," the statement reads. "The Meta lawsuit came from them, not me. I'm not personally involved with it and I am not a party to the suit."

UPDATE (June 4):

A spokesperson for Meta has released the following statement to XXL in response to a lawsuit filed against them by the publishing company that controls Eminem's early catalog.

"Meta has licenses with thousands of partners around the world and an extensive global licensing program for music on its platforms," the statement reads. "Meta had been negotiating in good faith with Eight Mile Style, but rather than continue those discussions, Eight Mile Style chose to sue."

ORIGINAL STORY (June 4): 

The publishing company that controls Eminem's early music catalog is suing Meta for over $109 million.

Publishing Company Files Lawsuit Against Meta

On May 30, Eight Mile Style filed a lawsuit against the social media giant in U.S. District Court in Michigan, accusing Meta of using 243 of Eminem's songs across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp without authorization. Eminem is not listed as a plaintiff in the lawsuit.

What Does the Lawsuit Say?

"Despite their not being licensed, the recordings of the Eight Mile Compositions have been reproduced and synchronized with visual content on Meta’s platforms across millions of videos, which have been viewed billions of times," the lawsuit reads.

"Meta has also created online tools within their services, such as Original Audio and Reels Remix, which allow and encourage its users to steal Eight Mile Style’s music from another user’s posted audiovisual content and then use it in their own subsequent videos without proper attribution or license, resulting in exponential infringement," the filing continues.

What Songs Were Allegedly Used Without Permission?

The 243 songs listed in the lawsuit include Shady hits like "’Til I Collapse," "Lose Yourself," "The Real Slim Shady," "Mockingbird," "The Way I Am," "Houdini" and dozens of other tracks from or featuring Em.

How Much Is Eight Mile Style Suing For?

EMS is seeking $150,000 for each infraction on each platform (Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp), totalling $109,350,000.

XXL has reached out to Eminem's team and Meta for comment.

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Eminem Takes Legal Action

Slim Shady is no stranger to taking legal action over his IP. He has filed at least five lawsuits over the unauthorized use of the diamond track "Lose Yourself" over the years. Last January, he reportedly filed a protective order, preventing the use of the word "Shady" in a podcast title.

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