Eminem Publisher Accuses Meta of Infringing Music Copyrights

Rapper Eminem’s music publisher accused Meta Platforms Inc. of “rampantly” infringing his copyrights by offering his music to sync with photos and videos publicly streamed on its social media apps without permission.

Meta had no license to store and distribute Eminem’s songs on its Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp platforms, according to a complaint filed by Eight Mile Style LLC and label Martin Affiliated LLC in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Meta has removed several compositions from its library after the music publisher approached it, but a number of “prominent” songs by Eminem remain in its repertoire, the complaint said. It also named Meta subsidiaries Instagram LLC and Whatsapp LLC as defendants.

The publisher is asking for $150,000 for each of the 243 alleged songs infringed for each of the 3 platforms.

Meta knew about its actions because of a separate deal with a royalty collection agency, Audiam, the complaint said. The company inked a licensing deal to house a set of musical compositions on its platform in 2020 and again in 2023. As a part of those negotiations, it unsuccessfully tried to include an Eight Mile Style license as a part of that first deal, and neither deal includes any reference Eight Mile Style, the filing said.

Meta hasn’t provided any licensing authority to back up its offerings of Eight Mile Style compositions, the complaint said.

“Meta’s years-long and ongoing infringement of the Eight Mile Compositions is another case of a trillion (with a ‘T’) dollar company exploiting the creative efforts of musical artists for the obscene monetary benefit of its executives and shareholders without a license and without regard to the rights of the owners of the intellectual property,” the complaint said.

Meta declined to comment on the allegations.

A federal judge last year dismissed Eight Mile Style’s copyright infringement claims accusing Spotify USA Inc. of offering his music without a valid license. Eight Mile Style appealed the ruling to the Sixth Circuit.

Eight Mile Style is asserting claims of direct, contributory, and vicarious copyright infringement, as well as inducement of copyright infringement.

King & Ballow and Hertz Schram PC represent Eight Mile Style and Martin Affiliated.

The case is Eight Mile Style LLC v. Meta Platforms Inc., E.D. Mich., No. 2:25-cv-11618, complaint filed 5/30/25.