*A rep for Eminem said Thursday that the rapper will donate to hurricane relief any proceeds he receives from the New Zealand court ruling announced Wednesday, reports Page Six.
In the ruling, publishers Eight Mile Style, 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 “Lose Yourself” in a 2014 election advertisement.
The rep noted that Eminem did not initiate the lawsuit, despite multiple media reports to the contrary.
“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 sued 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.
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
