Eminem’s music publisher sues Apple over iTunes Store downloads

“Eminem’s music publisher… Eight Mile Style LLC and a co-plaintiff, Martin Affiliated LLC, are suing Apple Inc., claiming they never authorized the use of 93 songs in a downloadable format on Apple’s popular iTunes service,” Ed White reports for The Associated Press. “The non-jury trial is expected to start Thursday in the rapper’s hometown of Detroit, unless a settlement is reached Wednesday with the help of U.S. Magistrate Judge Virginia Morgan.”

White reports, “Eight Mile also is suing Aftermath Records, which controls the recordings in question, saying it didn’t have the right to make deals on digital downloads.”

“It’s unclear from court documents just how much money is at stake, but the plaintiffs claim Apple wrongfully gained $2.5 million through iTunes downloads, including $466,915 from ‘Lose Yourself,’ Eminem’s biggest hit from the hip-hop film ‘8 Mile.’ The publisher also believes it should get a share of Apple’s profit from the sale of iPods,” White reports.

MacDailyNews Take: Bwahahaha! Good luck with that one, Marshall.

White continues, “Eight Mile also claims Aftermath wrongfully collected $4 million off Eminem’s songs on iTunes.”

“Apple denies the allegations and says it has a valid agreement with Aftermath Records,” White reports. “Eight Mile has received royalties but says that doesn’t mean it can’t press ahead with a lawsuit.”

Full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Find the real ass in this photo.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “JES42” for the heads up.]

36 Comments

  1. Songs for iTunes must be converted, prepared and submitted on the content OWNER’S end. This isn’t something Apple does on their own by buying CDs off the shelf and ripping them :p

    If the publisher didn’t want the songs on iTunes, why did they go through the process of submitting them? (And no doubt clicking on the necessary agreements in order to proceed?)

  2. Eminem is an idiot. His stuff was fun for a while, but that was 1999 or so. 10 years later, he can STFU and be glad people are buying at all.

    Why are celebrities the biggest crybabies? They have money, want more money, and expect everything to be comped so they don’t have to spend money. F’in maggots.

  3. That’s why I don’t have any respect for such a crappy celebrities no matter who. Actually I am not interested in what’s happening in entertainment industry. It looks like all piece of meat. They are all depend on us. If we won’t watch or listen, they will all die. Unfortunately they forgot about it mostly.

  4. I’m tired of cry baby Music Celerities as much as I’m tired of the Music Labels and their bitching about lost profits and declining sales. Everyone, whats to double and triple dip, and their all looking for easy fast money.

    Eminem signed a contract with a Record Label Aftermath Records that label controls the rights to the sound recording. The label has a valid contract with Apple to sell the sound recordings on iTunes.

    Apple does not need a contract from the publisher as the publisher does not own the sound recording. If Eminem has a complaint it’s with the Record Company and not Apple.

    Filing against the retailer (Apple) is like cutting off your noise because it’s on your face. If the Retailer choose to not promote your work your sales will suffer and if your sales suffer well, well… iTunes is the number 1 retailer in the world if Apple does not promote your work, you are well, dead as far as your fans are concerned. If I were Apple I’d just stop promoting Eminem (aka Whining Enema).

  5. Eminem was my favorite but I think his sales may reflect people really aren’t interested what he has to say anymore. Now out of desperation trying to get money out of every nook and cranny. People is tired of his whining on his personal and business life. He is in the small percentage of people actually make it in the music business. A lot of kids are really killing themselves to get where he’s at but what he does is cry over everything. His issues may be with Dr. Dre who runs Aftermath Records. Dr. Dre is a business man.

  6. I saw what Eight Mile Style LLC and a co-plaintiff, Martin Affiliated LLC did. They called MM’s ‘songs’, thus avoiding calling
    it ‘music’.

    Can you make ‘Ass Face’ an anagram from marshall mathers?

    [The publisher also believes it should get a share of Apple’s profit from the sale of iPods,” White reports.]

    In Marshall Mathers’ mind, he invented the iPod, I guess.

    It’s time that the ‘doctor’ left MM off at the booger eating contest where he found him. Time for MM to turn in his Johnny Bravo suit, then claim that he had sex with Maureen McCormick!

    How weak sauce loser can MM get to start lying that the pretend gay guy staged his little stunt WITH him. Yeah. Sure. MM reveals himself with every sad utterance.

    What’s next? Crack off of Haggard’s ass?

    MM is a puppet. Guess where the hand is?

  7. Ah, the American way. Don’t work hard to make money, sue someone instead. Is this a great country or what!

    Since we are talking about the talentless twit Eminem, I am sure it is just a matter of months before we see the fool on one of the 3rd rate realty shows where the has-beens go to die.

  8. @84
    oh you mean “I’m a celebrity, maker eat beetles and spiders to reinvigourate my career!” worked for Peter Andre!

    I just deleted all of the Marshall Mathers tunes from my iTunes library. You’d have to be an arsehole to bite the hand that feeds you!

  9. @Jimithy:

    Interesting bit about the iCommercial … and the follow-up question is that since that youtube is 3 years old, why did it take the boy 3 years to file this lawsuit?

    Wonder what the Statue of Limitations are on royalty payments…

    -hh

  10. Get through the trial, then remove Eminem’s music from iTunes.
    Work up a new iTunes contract that places all liability for this type of situation fully on the publisher (in this case Eight Mile Style LLC). It is ridiculous to hold Apple accountable for any mistakes or intentional actions of the publisher.

  11. Eight Mile Style, LLC is a Michigan LLC listed as being owned by Joel Martin. Doesn’t mean M&M;isn’t a partner in the business, just that Martin is listed as the owner.

    I love how anytime anyone files a lawsuit against Apple, so many people have to jump on the person/business and claim how much they suck. Apple’s far from perfect, and Apple certainly practices tough business strategies. But the fact that the case is going to trial Thursday means that there is something there or it would have been dismissed/settled by now.

    Apple may have a valid agreement with Aftermath Records, but Aftermath Records may have screwed up on its end. Or Eight Mile is wrong. The fact that M&M;received royalties from the sales makes whether actual damages occurred very questionable.

    But we shall see. I doubt Apple is going to settle this close to trial. Besides, the last thing Apple wants to be forced to do is negotiate with the record labels, music distributors, AND every single artist (or at least verify that agreements are in place).

  12. Just think if the world worked like the content industry (Music, Movies), you would buy a car, every time you drive it you have to pay, if you lend it out you have to pay, if you sell it you have to pay, if someone looks at it you have to pay, if you give a ride you have to pay. As an assembly line worker you could produce cars for a year and live off the royalties until the cars from that year are all scrap and then work for another year.

    I mean musicians, actors, writers, producers directors, all want to be paid to do the work and then be paid in perpetuity every time that work is consumed. Work once get paid for ever.

    I am a photographer, the way I do my work is, I get hired, I take the photo, and I turn over the work to the person \ company that commissioned the work simple, same as any other worker in the world.

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