- Eminem’s publishing company, Eight Mile Style, has filed a lawsuit against Meta.
- The lawsuit claims Meta used Eminem’s music on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp without proper licensing.
- Filed in a Michigan court, the lawsuit alleges unauthorized storage, reproduction, and distribution of Eminem’s songs.
Eminem’s publishing company, Eight Mile Style, has taken Meta—the owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp—to court, accusing the tech giant of using the rapper’s music without proper licensing.
The lawsuit, filed in a Michigan court, alleges that Meta stored, reproduced, and distributed Eminem’s songs across its platforms without obtaining the necessary rights. Eight Mile Style is demanding at least $109 million in damages and is seeking a court order to stop what it claims are ongoing copyright violations.
According to the complaint, Meta’s music library contains 243 tracks owned or controlled by Eight Mile Style. These songs were reportedly used in millions of videos that have accumulated billions of views on Meta’s platforms. The suit claims the music was copied and synced to visual content without authorization, despite previous unsuccessful licensing negotiations through Audiam, a digital music rights company.
The complaint states, “Despite not being licensed, the recordings of the Eight Mile compositions have been reproduced and synchronized with visual content on Meta’s platforms.” It also accuses Meta executives of “actively encourag[ing] rampant infringement” to boost user engagement and advertising revenue—advertising that made up 97.8% of Meta’s total revenue in 2023.
The lawsuit also points out that Meta continued to host karaoke, instrumental, and even some original versions of Eminem’s songs after being notified of the licensing issues.
The complaint reads, “Meta’s years-long and ongoing infringement of the Eight Mile compositions is another case of a trillion-dollar company exploiting the creative efforts of musical artists for the benefit of its executives and shareholders.”
In response, Meta told the Los Angeles Times that it has “extensive” licensing agreements with thousands of partners worldwide and asserted it has been negotiating in good faith with Eight Mile Style. “Rather than continue those discussions, Eight Mile Style chose to sue,” Meta said.
This isn’t the first legal dispute between Eight Mile Style and Meta. In 2013, the company sued Facebook for allegedly using Eminem’s track “Under the Influence” in an advertisement without permission.
Eight Mile Style is now seeking $150,000 per song, per platform, and has requested a jury trial.
