Thursday, June 5, 2025 - Eminem’s publishing company, Eight Mile Style, has filed a federal lawsuit against Mark Zuckerberg's Meta, accusing the tech giant of using the rapper’s music without proper licensing.
Filed in a Michigan court, the complaint alleges that
Meta—which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp—stored, reproduced, and
distributed Eminem’s songs through its platforms, despite lacking the necessary
rights. Eight Mile Style is seeking at least $109 million in damages, as well
as a court order to halt what it claims are ongoing copyright violations.
According to the lawsuit, Meta’s music library includes 243
tracks owned or controlled by Eight Mile Style. These songs were allegedly used
in millions of videos that have garnered billions of views across Meta’s
platforms. The suit contends that the music was copied and synced to visual
content without authorization, despite previous failed negotiations for a
licensing agreement through Audiam, a digital music rights company.
"Despite
not being licensed, the recordings of the Eight Mile compositions have been
reproduced and synchronized with visual content on Meta's platforms," the
complaint states. It further alleges that Meta executives “actively encouraged
rampant infringement” to boost user engagement and advertising
revenue—advertising that reportedly made up 97.8% of Meta’s total revenue in
2023.
The complaint also criticizes Meta for continuing to host
karaoke, instrumental, and even some original versions of Eminem’s songs after
being made aware of the licensing issues.
“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,” the lawsuit reads.
In response, Meta told the Los Angeles Times that it has
“extensive” licensing agreements in place with thousands of partners globally
and claimed it had been negotiating in good faith with Eight Mile Style.
“Rather than continue those discussions, Eight Mile Style chose to sue,” the
company said.
This isn’t the first legal clash 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.
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