Marshall Bruce Mathers III better known as Eminem has become an icon of the rap music industry. However, it turns out that a New Zealand political party tried to take advantage of the artist’s fame. Therefore, they incorporated a song similar to Eminem’s ‘Lose Yourself’ in their 2014 election campaign. A New Zealand judge, Helen Cull, concluded that this was a case of copyright infringement.
The New Zealand Political Party Has to Pay More Than $413,000 to Settle the Case
The plaintiff in the New Zealand lawsuit was Eight Mile Style which is in charge of the rights to artist’s work. The publisher brought allegations before the High Court of New Zealand on September 16. According to these files, the conservative National Party tried to save funds by using a library track entitled ‘Eminem Esque.’
The court came to the conclusion that the imitation shares enough similarities with the original song to call it a case of copyright breach. As a result, the party has to settle for $413,000 for a ‘hypothetical license fee.’
The organization would have had to pay the same amount if they have bought copyrights from Eight Mile Style in the first place. The party will also have to cover interest as well.
‘Eminem Esque’ Licensers Will Be the New Defendants in Next Eight Mile Style Lawsuit
Lawyers who represented Eminem, in this case, claimed that the new ruling is going to transcend this one particular situation. It is a warning to a new industry that capitalizes on popular songs through sound-alike products. The October 25 verdict is a new vulnerability for such companies and the clients that choose to use their services.
“We think it’s a very strong judgment and a cautionary tale for people who make or use sound-alikes around the world.”
After the settlement against the political party in New Zealand, the two entities united their forces to go after creators of ‘Eminem Esque.’ These licensers have clearly copied fragments of Eminem’s ‘Lose Yourself’ song.
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