Spotify Wins Long-Running Copyright Lawsuit Over Eminem Songs
A long-running legal battle between rap superstar Eminem’s publishing house and music streaming giant Spotify has finally come to an end, with a judge ruling in favor of the platform. Eight Mile Style, which represents Eminem’s catalog, filed a $30 million lawsuit in 2019 claiming Spotify had streamed tracks like “Lose Yourself” and “Without Me” billions of times without proper licensing. However, a Tennessee court disagreed.
While acknowledging Spotify did not have direct licenses for the songs, the judge determined the company would not be liable for lost royalties. It was ruled that any damages would have to be paid by Kobalt Music Group, the entity that collected payments on behalf of Eight Mile Style. The case highlights the complexities of digital rights management in today’s streaming landscape.
Eight Mile Style alleged Spotify had misled them by pretending to control 243 Eminem songs when the licenses were not in place. They also argued random payments made over the years only accounted for a small portion of actual streaming revenue generated. Curiously, Eminem was reportedly unaware of the suit initially.
Spotify defended itself by accusing Kobalt of misleading them about who actually held the administration rights. Eight Mile Style had accepted royalty payments for years without questioning Spotify’s ability to stream the songs, the platform claimed. The legal wrangling carried on for five years, with attempts to depose Spotify CEO Daniel Ek at one point.
