Eminem takes on Meta in R2 billion copyright lawsuit
Eminem's publishing company, Eight Mile Style, filed a lawsuit accusing Meta of unlawfully using 243 of his songs without permission. Picture: Bang Showbiz
American rap icon Eminem is taking Meta Platforms, owners of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp to court in a massive copyright battle that could cost the tech giant over R2 billion.
Eminem's publishing company, Eight Mile Style, filed a lawsuit accusing Meta of unlawfully using 243 of his songs without permission.
According to court papers dated May 30 and seen by E! News, the rapper (real name Marshall Mathers) alleges that Meta allowed the 'unauthorised storage, reproduction and exploitation' of his music across its platforms.
The lawsuit specifically points fingers at features like Reels and Original Audio, claiming these tools encourage users to use music including Eminem's without proper licensing or credit.
Now, the multi-Grammy Award-winner is demanding financial compensation for what he calls the theft of his creative work. He's asking for either lost profits and damages from Meta's earnings or the maximum statutory damages of $150,000 (about R2.1 million) for each track, which adds up to more than $109 million (around R2.05 billion).
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