Eminem’s Publisher Slaps Meta with $109M Copyright Claim
Let’s all marvel at corporate theater: Eminem’s music publisher, Eight Mile Style, just served Meta a $109 million subpoena-shaped cake for allegedly ignoring copyright cake etiquette. The Los Angeles–based publishing arm behind Marshall Mathers’s lyrical gold claims that Instagram and Facebook have been hosting unauthorized snippets of his tracks—and not just once or twice, but hundreds of times. According to the complaint filed in the Central District of California, Eight Mile Style counted 109 protected songs (yes, one million dollars asked per tune because why not) and 239 specific instances of infringement across Meta’s platforms. Meta, true to form, apparently responded with the digital equivalent of “Sorry, which tunes?” despite repeated takedown notices, thereby earning itself a starring role in this lawsuit.
Eight Mile Style isn’t exactly whining in the corner. The publisher documented dozens of YouTube links, screenshots and URLs—each one a little monument to Meta’s alleged indifference. And they’re asking a judge not only for statutory damages but also an injunction to halt any future karaoke parties featuring “Lose Yourself” mash-ups without permission. In legal parlance, they accuse Meta of “willful” infringement, which is lawyer-speak for “you knew, and you still let it happen.” Meanwhile, Meta’s spokesperson has been characteristically mum, likely fielding emails from its own legal team wondering if unlimited free content is really a sustainable strategy.
Of course, this isn’t the first time Big Tech has gotten tangled in the copyright spider web. Back in 2019, streaming platforms faced similar lawsuits, so Meta probably thought it could waltz through the legal loop-de-loop. But Eight Mile Style is coming armed with hard evidence—DMCA notices, takedown history and a list of favorite Eminem songs that, ironically, include “Cleaning Out My Closet.” Let’s just say this one’s got more drama than an overhyped season finale of your favorite reality show.
No surprise, pundits see this as a high-stakes test of how social media companies handle music licensing. If Eight Mile Style wins, Meta could face a domino effect of lawsuits from other publishers smelling easy money. And if they lose, Meta might finally overhaul its content moderation algorithms instead of letting users post themselves rapping about Stan’s epic meltdown.
So sit tight and grab your popcorn: Will Meta pay up, settle quietly or double down on “we didn’t notice”? Stay tuned for the next episode of Legal Battles: Tech Edition. In the meantime, keep your dance moves copyright-compliant.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, Central District of California court filings
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
