Eminem to Donate ‘Lose Yourself’ Lawsuit Proceeds to Hurricane Relief
A rep for Eminem said on Thursday that the rapper will be donating to hurricane relief any proceeds he receives from a New Zealand court ruling announced Wednesday. In that ruling, Eight Mile Style, publishers who control some of Eminem’s
early catalog, was awarded $600,000 (around $415,000 U.S.) in a
copyright case against New Zealand’s National party, which used a song
deemed similar to his hit “Lose Yourself” in a 2014 election
advertisement. The rep noted that contrary to multiple news reports, the
rapper did not initiate the lawsuit.
“Eminem
was not a party to this lawsuit nor was he consulted regarding the
case,” the rep said. “Any monetary settlement he receives from it will
be donated to hurricane relief. He encourages the plaintiffs, 8 Mile
Style, to do the same.”
The
publishers filed suit against the party in September 2014 for its use
of the song, which was created by a production house and is actually
titled “Eminem Esque.” The court ruled Wednesday (Oct. 25) that the
track was “sufficiently similar” to Eminem’s original song and that it
impinged on copyright. “Eminem Esque has substantially copied ‘Lose
Yourself,’” the ruling says.
“The
differences between the two works are minimal; the close similarities
and the indiscernible differences in drum beat, the ‘melodic line’ and
the piano figures make ‘Eminem Esque’ strikingly similar to ‘Lose
Yourself,’” the ruling reads in part.
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