Eminem Sues Meta for Unauthorized Use of His Music, Damages Could Exceed $1 Million

Eminem is suing Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatApp, for alleged unauthorized distribution of his songs without a valid license through the use of Reels Remix and Original Audio.

Potential damages could be more than $1 million as Eight Mile Style is seeking statutory damages of up to $150,000 per song, per platform. The “Lose Yourself” rapper filed the suit on May 30 in Michigan through his production company Eight Mile Style.

The suit, obtained by TheWrap, alleges that Eminem’s songs were made available in Meta’s “Music Libraries” and were used in user-generated content via tools like Reels Remix and Original Audio, resulting in the songs being used in millions of videos and streamed billions of times.

The legal paperwork states that Meta sought to obtain licenses through Audiam, Inc., a digital royalty collection and payment engine, authority which Eight Mile Style says it did not grant to Audiam.

In the suit, the Mark Zuckerberg company is accused of “rampant infringement” of Eight Mile Compositions,” but also of “knowing infringement,” going on to state that the company “encourag[ed] billions of users of its online services to do so, all willfully, and without a license.”

The paperwork also claims, “Thus, as Meta knows, it does not enjoy and is not eligible for the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s (“DMCA”) safe harbor provisions.”

Despite removing some songs after complaints, such “Lose Yourself”, the suit claims that the company “continues to host unauthorized cover and instrumental versions.”

Eight Mile Style is also seeking actual damages, lost profits, and a permanent injunction against unlicensed usage of the Oscar winner’s music. The company has requested a jury trial.

TheWrap has reached out to Meta for comment.

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