Another day, another lawsuit. Eminem’s publishing company, Eight Mile Style, has launched a major legal challenge against Meta, accusing the tech giant of using the rapper’s music across Facebook, the Gram, and WhatsApp without proper clearance.
Get this, according to the filing, Eight Mile Style claims Meta repeatedly allowed Eminem’s songs to appear in user-generated content without paying licensing fees. The suit, first filed in May 2022, accuses Meta of copying, syncing, and streaming hundreds of his compositions without permission. Court documents list 243 separate instances involving tracks from the Detroit legend’s catalog.
Attorney Richard Busch, representing Eight Mile Style, called out Meta’s massive resources and alleged strong-arm tactics, stating that the company can “start and then endure a war of attrition” to pressure smaller rights holders into giving up. The publishing firm argues this case highlights how some of the world’s biggest corporations exploit artists by normalizing unpaid use of their work on socials.
What’s more, the dispute also questions Meta’s reliance on a 2020 licensing deal with digital rights service Audiam. Eight Mile Style claims that arrangement did not authorize the use of Eminem’s catalog and that Meta continues to benefit from his music without legal grounds.
The lawsuit seeks damages and a permanent injunction to block further unlicensed use of his songs. For Eminem, whose Super Bowl LVI halftime performance and NFL Draft appearance reaffirmed his lasting cultural impact, the case underscores an ongoing fight for creative control in the digital age.