Eminem’s Publisher Loses $39 Million Legal Battle With Spotify

Back in 2019, Eminem‘s publisher Eight Mile Style sued Spotify for roughly $39 million. In their lawsuit, they alleged that the rapper’s songs had been streamed “billions of times,” but he’d yet to be paid for it. Now, a verdict has been reached, and Spotify has come out victorious.

According to AllHipHop, the judge ruled that Spotify didn’t have the proper license, but wasn’t responsible for any lost royalties. Instead, they claim that Kobalt Music Group would have to pay the penalty if Spotify had been found guilty. Kobalt administers song rights and collects royalties, including for Eminem’s publisher. Reportedly, the Detroit artist himself was not a party in the lawsuit and was surprised to learn of its existence.

In Eight Mile’s lawsuit, the company accused Spotify of having “acted deceptively” by allegedly pretending to have licenses for hundreds of Eminem’s songs. Spotify, on the other hand, insisted that Kobalt Music Publishing was to blame. Allegedly, the company misled Spotify into thinking it controlled the administration of Eight Mile’s catalog when that was not the case.

“Eight Mile Style had every opportunity to set things right and simply chose not to do so for no apparent reason, other than that being the victim of infringement pays better than being an ordinary licensor,” Judge Aleta A. Trauger said in her ruling. She also added that it’s “surprisingly plausible that Spotify might be genuinely confused.” Trauger called the situation “inexplicable” and said Eight Mile is not the “hapless victim” it claimed to be. What do you think of Spotify coming out victorious in its legal battle against Eminem’s publisher? Are you surprised by this or not? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.