Credit: Alamy

The music publisher behind early Eminem material has filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms, alleging copyright infringement. Eight Mile Style sued the technology company behind Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp on June 3rd.

Eight Mile Style, co-founded by production duo the Bass Brothers, is seeking over $109 million in damages relating to Em’s tracks between 1995 and 2005. Meta has been accused of violating the copyright of 243 songs through “unauthorised storage, reproduction and exploitation” on their various platforms. 

They claim millions of videos have resulted in music being streamed billions of times, citing formats such as Original Audio and Reels Remix. Documents say they “allow and encourage its users to steal Eight Mile Style’s music without proper attribution or license.”

The publisher alleges a “diminished value of the copyrights by Defendants’ theft of them, lost profits, and Defendants’ profits attributable to the infringement.” They’re seeking $150,000 for each of the 243 songs being used on the social platforms, in addition to a jury trial.

Court documents allege that Meta attempted to purchase licenses through Audiam, a digital royalty collection and payment engine, but Eight Mile Style didn’t provide access. They claim songs were removed after complaints, but Meta allegedly “reproduced and stored unauthorised unlicensed copies.”

The Bass Brothers executive produced Em’s debut album, Infinite, and worked across The Slim Shady LP and The Eminem Show. Despite the music publisher suing Meta, Eminem reportedly has nothing to do with the legal filing.

This isn’t the first time the Bass Brothers have taken legal action relating to the rapper’s music. In January this year, they sued a car dealership over the use of ‘Lose Yourself’ in a commercial.