You’re losers — £310k bill for Eminem song rip-off
EMINEM has won a legal battle with a right wing party after it used a song similar to his hit single Lose Yourself in an election advert.
The Detroit rapper was awarded the equivalent of £310,000 in damages after he sued New Zealand’s National Party for breach of copyright.
An advert in its 2014 election campaign included a track called Eminem Esque, which music publisher Eight Mile Style said ripped off Lose Yourself.
High Court judge Helen Cull agreed, ruling yesterday that copyright had been breached as the difference between the songs was minimal.
She said it was no coincidence Eminem Esque’s composer had the music to Lose Yourself in front of him when he wrote his song.
Ms Cull said Eminem’s lyrics in the song, from the soundtrack of 2002 movie 8 Mile, were prophetic, quoting the line ‘you own it, you better never let it go’.
The National Party said it was disappointed with the ruling. Its president Peter Goodfellow said: ‘We purchased the music from a reputable Australian-based music production library, who had purchased it from a US supplier.’
The party has lodged a claim against the supplier and licence holders of Eminem Esque.
Author: Andrei Harmsworth
