Eminem Takes Legal Action Against Mark Zuckerberg Over Alleged Unauthorized Music Use

Eminem’s publishing company, Eight Mile Style, has launched a federal lawsuit against Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, accusing the tech powerhouse of using the rapper’s music without permission. Filed in Michigan, the suit claims Meta—parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp—stored, reproduced, and distributed Eminem’s songs on its platforms without securing the proper licenses.

Eight Mile Style is seeking at least $109 million in damages and a court order to halt what it describes as ongoing copyright violations. The complaint alleges that Meta’s music library contains 243 tracks owned or managed by Eight Mile Style, which have allegedly been used in millions of videos racking up billions of views. According to the suit, these songs were copied and paired with visual content without authorization, despite previous failed negotiations for a licensing deal through Audiam, a digital music rights company.

The lawsuit 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 claims Meta executives encouraged widespread infringement to boost user engagement and, by extension, advertising revenue—a figure that reportedly made up 97.8% of Meta’s total revenue in 2023.

The complaint further criticizes Meta for continuing to host karaoke, instrumental, and some original versions of Eminem’s songs even after being notified of the licensing problems. Eight Mile Style argues that Meta’s ongoing infringement is yet another example of a trillion-dollar company leveraging artists’ creative work for corporate gain.

Meta responded by stating it has broad licensing agreements with thousands of partners worldwide and was negotiating in good faith with Eight Mile Style. The company claims that Eight Mile Style opted for litigation instead of continuing those talks.

This isn’t the first time Eight Mile Style and Meta have faced off in court. Back in 2013, the publisher sued Facebook for allegedly using Eminem’s track “Under the Influence” in an ad without permission. Now, Eight Mile Style is seeking $150,000 per song, per platform, and has requested a jury trial to settle the matter.