Eminem sues Meta over unauthorized use of music in reels
The complaint was filed on May 30 in Michigan federal court by Eminem's production company, Eight Mile Style. The lawsuit alleges that Meta engaged in 'rampant' and 'knowing infringement' by making Eminem's songs available in its 'Music Libraries' for use in user-generated content — often without obtaining the necessary licenses. These songs, including major hits like 'Lose Yourself,' were allegedly used in millions of videos and streamed billions of times without proper authorization.
Eight Mile Style contends that Meta attempted to secure licensing through Audiam, Inc., a digital royalty collection company, but asserts that Audiam was never granted such authority on its behalf. The lawsuit claims Meta 'willfully' encouraged its billions of users to use Eminem's music without a license and is not eligible for Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) safe harbor protections due to its alleged knowledge and facilitation of the infringement.
While some songs were reportedly removed from Meta platforms following complaints — including 'Lose Yourself' — Eight Mile Style maintains that unauthorized covers and instrumental versions of the rapper's music remain accessible.
The company is seeking statutory damages of up to $150,000 per song, per platform — potentially amounting to over $1 million — along with actual damages, lost profits, and a permanent injunction against the continued unlicensed use of Eminem's music. Eight Mile Style has also requested a jury trial.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab Times
20-07-2025
- Arab Times
Facebook deletes millions of accounts in 2025 content protection effort
NEW YORK, July 20: In a sweeping effort to bolster platform integrity, Meta has confirmed the deletion of approximately 10 million Facebook accounts in the first half of 2025, targeting impersonators and spammy profiles in what some are calling the company's largest account purge to date. The move comes amid a broader trend of major tech platforms tightening account management, with Google and Samsung previously issuing deletion warnings for inactive users. However, Facebook's actions differ significantly — targeting active accounts linked to impersonation, fake engagement, and spam. A July 14 announcement on the Facebook Creators blog detailed the rationale behind the mass removals, stating: 'We believe that creators should be celebrated for their unique voices and perspectives, not drowned out by copycats and impersonators.' The announcement referenced ongoing threats across digital platforms, including impersonation scams, which have affected users across services like Amazon Prime. Meta said its crackdown is part of a commitment to ensure original content is visible and rewarded. Since January, Meta said it has removed approximately 10 million fake accounts impersonating popular content creators. An additional 500,000 accounts engaged in spam or fake engagement saw their reach reduced, comments demoted, and monetization suspended. 'Facebook aims to be a place where original content thrives,' the company emphasized. 'We will continue taking action to protect creators and the broader community.' Following Meta's blog post, social media lit up with complaints from users alleging that their accounts were wrongly deleted. 'I strongly believe this purge, while framed as a safety measure, is sweeping up innocent people and branding them as criminals without recourse or transparency,' one user wrote. Another advised searching terms like 'Meta ban wave' on Reddit, TikTok, or Twitter, pointing to hundreds of reports of legitimate Facebook and Instagram accounts being disabled without warning. While Meta has acknowledged a 'technical error' affecting Facebook Groups, it maintains there is no evidence of widespread erroneous enforcement across its platforms. A Meta spokesperson stated: 'We take action on accounts that violate our policies, and people can appeal if they think we've made a mistake.' The company confirmed that AI is used in the content moderation process, but rejected claims that artificial intelligence was wrongly flagging large volumes of user accounts. For many users, particularly creators and public figures vulnerable to impersonation, the purge has been seen as a positive move toward a safer, more trustworthy online environment. However, the growing number of complaints from regular users caught in the crossfire is prompting questions about transparency and the limits of automated enforcement.
Kuwait Times
17-07-2025
- Kuwait Times
Meta investors and Zuckerberg square off over privacy violations
WASHINGTON: This photo illustration created on January 7, 2025 shows an image of Mark Zuckerberg and a phone displaying the download page for the Facebook app. -- AFP WILMINGTON: An $8 billion trial by Meta Platforms shareholders against Mark Zuckerberg and other current and former company leaders kicked off on Wednesday over claims they illegally harvested the data of Facebook users in violation of a 2012 agreement with the US Federal Trade Commission. The trial started with a privacy expert for the plaintiffs, Neil Richards of Washington University Law School, who testified about Facebook's data policies. 'Facebook's privacy disclosures were misleading,' he told the court. Jeffrey Zients, White House chief of staff under President Joe Biden and a Meta director for two years starting in May 2018, is expected to take the stand later on Wednesday in the non-jury trial before Kathaleen McCormick, chief judge of the Delaware Chancery Court.—Reuters The case will feature testimony from Zuckerberg and other billionaire defendants including former Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, venture capitalist and board member Marc Andreessen as well as former board members Peter Thiel, Palantir Technologies co-founder, and Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix. A lawyer for the defendants, who have denied the allegations, declined to comment. McCormick, the judge who rescinded Elon Musk's $56 billion Tesla pay package last year, is expected to rule on liability and damages months after the trial concludes. The case began in 2018, following revelations that data from millions of Facebook users was accessed by Cambridge Analytica, a now-defunct political consulting firm that worked for Donald Trump's successful US presidential campaign in 2016. The FTC fined Facebook $5 billion in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, saying the company had violated a 2012 agreement with the FTC to protect user data. Shareholders want the defendants to reimburse Meta for the FTC fine and other legal costs, which the plaintiffs estimate total more than $8 billion.—Reuters In court filings, the defendants described the allegations as 'extreme' and said the evidence at trial will show Facebook hired an outside consulting firm to ensure compliance with the FTC agreement and that Facebook was a victim of Cambridge Analytica's deceit. Meta, which is not a defendant, declined to comment. On its website, the company has said it has invested billions of dollars into protecting user privacy since 2019. – Reuters
Arab Times
08-07-2025
- Arab Times
Meta poaches Apple's AI executive to lead new AI division
NEW YORK, July 8: Apple's head of AI models, Ruoming Pang, is leaving the tech giant to join Meta, Bloomberg reported Monday. Pang's move marks the latest high-profile AI executive recruited by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to lead his new AI superintelligence division. Pang previously led Apple's in-house team responsible for training the foundation AI models that support Apple Intelligence and various on-device AI features. However, Apple's AI offerings have lagged behind competitors like OpenAI, Anthropic, and even Meta itself. Reports suggest Apple has considered integrating third-party AI models for its upcoming Siri upgrade, highlighting struggles within its AI development. Sources indicate that Pang's departure may signal further exits within Apple's AI unit, where morale has been affected by uncertainties about the company's AI direction. Pang's expertise in designing compact, on-device AI models is expected to bolster Meta's growing AI team, which has recently welcomed talent from Google DeepMind, OpenAI, and other leading AI firms. Bloomberg noted that Meta attracted Pang with an annual compensation package reportedly worth tens of millions of dollars. Pang managed a team of around 100 employees at Apple, developing large language models used in features such as email summaries, Priority Notifications, and Genmoji. Apple has faced increasing pressure to keep pace with rivals offering more advanced AI capabilities, including Google and Samsung. Earlier this year, Apple postponed the Apple Intelligence Siri features originally announced at WWDC 2024, prompting a restructuring of its AI teams. The company's AI efforts are now overseen by software chief Craig Federighi and Mike Rockwell, who led the development of Vision Pro. Pang's departure reflects broader challenges within Apple's AI division as it strives to catch up in an increasingly competitive market, while Meta continues to aggressively expand its AI leadership.
