Eminem's Publisher Sues Spotify - Noise11.com
Eminem 2018 by Craig Mcdean

Eminem 2018 by Craig Mcdean

Eminem’s Publisher Sues Spotify

by Music-News.com on August 23, 2019

in News

Eminem’s music publishers are suing Spotify in a copyright lawsuit potentially worth billions of dollars in alleged damages.

Bosses at Eight Mile Style, the firm that owns the rights to the early part of the rapper’s back catalogue, filed a lawsuit in federal court in Nashville, Tennessee, on Wednesday, reported editors at The Hollywood Reporter.

In the lawsuit, they allege streaming service chiefs wilfully ignored Eight Mile Style’s ownership of around 250 Eminem songs when deciding how to pay out streaming revenue, and violated sections of America’s recently passed Music Modernization Act (MMA), which streamlined the process of paying out streaming royalties.

They claim Spotify executives treated massive hits like Eminem’s Oscar-winning 2002 track Lose Yourself as a song with unknown rights holders and did not go through the proper process to obtain a licence for the music.

Eminem is not an owner of Eight Mile Style, and his representative Dennis Dennehy told The Verge website he had no idea his music was at the centre of what could be a landmark copyright case, saying Eminem and his team were, “just as surprised as anyone else by this news.”

Eight Mile is being represented by Richard Busch, a Nashville attorney who represented Eight Mile Style in a landmark 2010 lawsuit against Apple and Universal Music Group that transformed the way artists and rights holders were paid for digital downloads. He also represented Marvin Gaye’s heirs in their successful $5 million (£3.9 million) lawsuit against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams over their song Blurred Lines.

Representatives of Spotify did not respond to a request for comment.

music-news.com

Noise11 on Instagram

You’ll discover music news first following Noise11 on Twitter

Comment on the news of the day, join Noise11 on Facebook

Noise11.com

Listen to the Noise11 Music News channel now at iHeartRadio

Related Posts

Justin Bieber in Sydney photo by Ros O'Gorman, music news, noise11.com
Justin Bieber Pops Out 21 Song Album ‘Swag’ #LISTEN

Justin Bieber has just slipped out a surprise new album ‘Swag’ with 21 tracks.

1 day ago
Jack White at the Forum Melbourne 9 December 2024 photo by David James Swanson
Jack White Gets His First Mobile Phone

Jack White received his first "cellular telephone" as a 50th birthday present.

2 days ago
Hilltop Hoods by Ashlee Jones
Hilltop Hoods Ninth Album is ‘Fall From The Light’

Hilltop Hoods will release their ninth album ‘Fall From The Light’ 1 August and then hit the road for the Never Coming Home tour in February 2026.

4 days ago
Simple Plan
Simple Plan Doco Hits Prime Video

Prime has premiered the Simple Plan documentary ‘The Kids In The Crowd’.

4 days ago
Grimes
Musk’s Ex Grimes Calls Musk X Poison

Elon Musk's ex Grimes has ripped into the billionaire for his impact on the social media platform X.

5 days ago
Kelly Clarkson photo by Ros O'Gorman
Kelly Clarkson Postpones Las Vegas Residency

Kelly Clarkson has postponed the opening of her Las Vegas residency hours before it was about to begin.

6 days ago
Miley Cyrus, Rod Laver Arena photo by Ros OGorman
Miley Cyrus To Receive Hollywood Walk of Fame Star

Miley Cyrus has admitted it "feels like a dream" to be receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.

July 4, 2025