Eminem’s publishing company, Eight Mile Style, is taking Meta to court, alleging that the tech giant has profited from the widespread and unauthorized use of the rapper’s music across its platforms—including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Filed on Friday, June 6, 2025, in the U.S. District Court in Detroit, the lawsuit claims that Meta has knowingly hosted and distributed Eminem’s compositions on its servers, making them available to billions of users without obtaining the necessary licensing rights.
Meta Accused of Encouraging Infringement
According to Eight Mile Style, Meta’s platform tools—including video editors, music stickers, and “For You” feeds—actively encourage users to reuse music from others’ posts, thereby multiplying copyright violations.
“Meta’s prolonged exploitation of Eminem’s catalog is another instance of a trillion-dollar corporation enriching itself at the artist’s expense,” the suit states.
The company also accuses Meta of amplifying this unlicensed content via algorithmic promotion, such as trending sections and automatic recommendations, which effectively turn social posts into global distribution channels.
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Repeated Warnings Ignored
Eight Mile Style claims it previously warned Meta about the unauthorized use of Eminem’s music, which led to the removal of certain tracks. However, numerous versions—including karaoke tracks, instrumental covers, and remixes—remained accessible and widely circulated on the platforms.
Despite these warnings, Meta allegedly continued to allow the sharing of Eminem’s most popular songs, compounding the damages and forcing the publisher to take legal action.
What Eight Mile Style Wants
The publisher is now seeking:
- Statutory damages exceeding $109 million
- An injunction to prevent further unauthorized use
- Surrender of profits Meta allegedly earned from the use of Eminem’s music
The lawsuit could serve as a landmark case in the battle between major tech platforms and music rights holders. As the digital landscape blurs the lines between content creation and copyright infringement, publishers like Eight Mile Style are demanding clearer accountability from platforms that profit from user-generated content.
Industry Impact
This case reflects a growing trend where artists and publishers are challenging Big Tech’s use of copyrighted material. If Eight Mile Style succeeds, it could set a new precedent for how platforms like Meta license and distribute music—and what penalties they face when they don’t.
With the explosion of short-form video content and user-generated media, the outcome of this lawsuit could reshape how music rights are handled in the digital age.
