Eminem’s publishing company, Eight Mile Style, has filed a federal lawsuit against Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, accusing the social media giant of using the rapper’s music without proper licensing.
The complaint, filed in a Michigan court, alleges that Meta — owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp — stored, reproduced, and distributed Eminem’s songs across its platforms without securing the necessary rights. Eight Mile Style is seeking at least $109 million in damages and a court order to stop what it calls 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, collectively racking up billions of views. The suit claims the music was copied and synced with visual content without authorization, despite previous unsuccessful attempts to negotiate a licensing deal 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 drive user engagement and advertising revenue—advertising that made up nearly 98% of Meta’s total revenue in 2023.
The lawsuit also highlights that Meta continued hosting karaoke, instrumental, and some original versions of Eminem’s songs even after being notified 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 suit reads.
In response, Meta told the Los Angeles Times it holds “extensive” licensing agreements with thousands of partners worldwide and has 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 battle between Eight Mile Style and Meta. In 2013, the publisher sued Facebook over an alleged unauthorized use of Eminem’s track “Under the Influence” in an advertisement.
Eight Mile Style is now seeking $150,000 per song, per platform, and has requested a jury trial.
