As reported by NME, Eminem’s music publishing company Eight Mile Style, LLC, along with Martin Affiliated, LLC, has filed a lawsuit against a Detroit car dealership for using ‘Love Yourself’ in advertisements without permission. The attorneys have charged the dealership, LaFontaine Ford St. Clair, Inc., for employing the song in online ads to promote special edition Detroit Lions F-150 trucks with “flagrant disregard of the exclusive rights held by Eight Mile.”
The legal action was initiated on Monday, January 27th, and Eight Might Style is requesting a court order to stop the video clip, along with compensation of no less than $150,000. The ads were broadcast from September to October 2024 across multiple platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and potentially additional websites.
The lawsuit centers around a video that reportedly featured the song alongside the caption, “You only get one chance to own a Special Edition Detroit Lions F-150.” Attorney Howard Hertz stated in the lawsuit, “LaFontaine’s actions infringed on the plaintiffs’ exclusive rights to decide when and under what conditions the composition can be utilized for commercial endorsements and advertising.”
He went on to clarify that LaFontaine’s unapproved use of the song may have jeopardized its future worth. It might complicate or reduce the profitability for Eight Mile Style to later license the song in different commercial ventures.
The publisher has requested that U.S District Judge Gershwin Drain ensure LaFontaine breached Eight Mile Style’s copyright, order the dealership to stop, and impose a judgment against LaFontaine for actual damages and profits resulting from the copyright violations.
The song composed by Marshall Mathers, Jeffrey Bass, and Louis Resto for Eminem’s semi-autobiographical movie released in 2002, Mile, received an Academy Award for Best Original Song and has been previously linked to a copyright infringement. The legal action was taken against the governing National Party in New Zealand, which was deemed guilty in 2017 and compensated Eight Mile Style with $600,000.
In September, Eminem and Eight Mile Style were engaged in a possible copyright infringement case against Spotify, resulting in a ruling that Spotify was not liable.
