A federal judge has allowed publisher Eight Mile Style to move forward with a copyright infringement lawsuit seeking more than $109 million against Meta Platforms Inc., rejecting the technology company’s attempt to dismiss claims involving hundreds of songs associated with rapper Eminem’s catalog.
In a June 16 order, U.S. District Judge Brandy R. McMillion ruled that Eight Mile plausibly alleged direct copyright infringement by Meta through the inclusion of 243 copyrighted compositions in the music libraries of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
The lawsuit, filed by Eight Mile Style, alleges Meta reproduced and stored copyrighted works without obtaining valid licenses. The publisher owns rights to numerous compositions recorded by Eminem, including the Academy Award-winning song “Lose Yourself.”
Meta argued the complaint relied on broad allegations and failed to identify actionable infringement. The company also challenged Eight Mile’s request for statutory damages, which could exceed $109 million if calculated at the maximum amount permitted under federal copyright law.
Judge McMillion found the allegations sufficient to survive dismissal.
“Plaintiff alleges that Meta placed all 243 of the aforementioned works in the respective music libraries of all three of its platforms,” McMillion wrote. “Accepted as true, this fact can plausibly be construed as constituting reproduction of the copyrighted work.”
Rapper Eminem’s Eight Mile Style Allowed To Sue Meta For $109 Million, Per Judge
The court further noted that unauthorized storage of copyrighted compositions may constitute infringement because copyright owners hold the exclusive right to reproduce their works.
While Eight Mile secured a significant victory on its direct infringement claims, the court dismissed its secondary infringement allegations. Those claims accused Meta of inducing users to incorporate unauthorized music into social media content.
McMillion concluded that Eight Mile failed to identify specific infringing user posts or demonstrate that Meta actively encouraged copyright violations.
“While Meta may encourage its users to use the platforms’ tools, the court is unwilling to equate an encouragement to use the tools with an encouragement to infringe,” the judge wrote.
The dismissal leaves open the possibility that Eight Mile could seek to amend its complaint.
The case now advances to discovery, where the parties will exchange documents, testimony and other evidence. Neither Eight Mile nor Meta publicly commented on the ruling.
Although Eminem’s music catalog is central to the dispute, the Grammy-winning artist is not a named party. The litigation could nonetheless shape future copyright licensing disputes involving major social media platforms and music publishers.
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