Eminem’s music publisher, Eight Mile Style, is suing Meta for up to $109.4 million, alleging that Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp stored 243 of Eminem’s songs in their in-app music libraries without a license and let users attach them to billions of posts. The Eminem Meta lawsuit was filed May 30, 2025, in federal court in Michigan. In June 2026, a judge dismissed three secondary infringement claims but allowed the core direct infringement claim to move into discovery.
Eminem Is Not the Plaintiff
The suit was brought by Eight Mile Style LLC, a publishing company run by Eminem’s longtime producers Mark and Jeff Bass (the Bass Brothers) along with manager Joel Martin.1HipHopDX. Eminem’s Longtime Producers Suing Car Dealership Over Use of Lose Yourself Eminem himself is not a party. When the case became public, a spokesperson told XXL that the rapper “is not involved in this lawsuit in any way.”2Law and Crime. Eminem Publishing Company Scores Legal Win, Spotify CEO Must Testify Under Oath in Copyright Infringement Lawsuit
Eight Mile Style holds the publishing copyrights to 243 compositions from Eminem’s catalog, including “Lose Yourself,” “The Real Slim Shady,” “Forgot About Dre,” “Till I Collapse,” “Cleaning Out My Closet,” “8 Mile,” and “Guilty Conscience.”3Music Business Worldwide. Eight Mile Style v. Meta Complaint
What Meta Is Accused of Doing
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (Case No. 2:25-cv-11618), brought four counts: direct copyright infringement, inducement, contributory infringement, and vicarious infringement.4Court Listener. Eight Mile Style, LLC v. Meta Platforms, Inc.Eminem’s Publishing Company Sues Meta Over Unauthorized Use of Music
According to Eight Mile Style, Meta maintained in-app music libraries on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp containing all 243 compositions and made them available to users to attach to videos and posts. Those videos were allegedly viewed billions of times.5Music Business Worldwide. Meta Sued for Alleged Rampant Infringement of Eminem Songs on Facebook, Instagram After Eight Mile Style put Meta on notice, Meta pulled some songs, including the original recording of “Lose Yourself.” But the publisher says versions kept surfacing: a karaoke rendition, a piano instrumental, a cover by the artist URock, and other tracks like “Till I Collapse” that remained in the libraries.6Rolling Stone Australia. Eminem’s Publishing Company Copyright Lawsuit Meta
The Fight Over the Audiam License
Whether Meta had permission at all comes down to a 2020 negotiation with Audiam, a digital royalty collection agency. The two sides describe that negotiation very differently.
Eight Mile Style says Audiam never had authority to license its catalog. The publisher alleges Meta tried to fold the Eight Mile compositions into a broader Audiam library deal, failed, and knew the final Audiam license did not cover them.5Music Business Worldwide. Meta Sued for Alleged Rampant Infringement of Eminem Songs on Facebook, Instagram
Meta says otherwise. In its motion to dismiss, Meta cited a May 2025 letter from an Audiam representative stating that Audiam had told Meta during the 2020 talks it “was authorized to represent EMS in its direct negotiation with Meta.” Meta also argued that Audiam informed Eight Mile Style of the negotiations and that the publisher supplied Audiam with a list of compositions it owned. The talks produced two two-year licensing agreements between Meta and Audiam, though what those agreements actually covered is disputed.7Digital Music News. Meta Eight Mile Style Dismissal Motion
That factual dispute will be a central issue in discovery.
How the $109.4 Million Figure Works
Eight Mile Style is asking for the maximum statutory damages available under the Copyright Act for willful infringement: $150,000 per work. The statute allows courts to award between $750 and $150,000 per infringed composition, with the top of the range reserved for willful conduct.8U.S. Copyright Office. Copyright Act, Chapter 5
The $109.4 million comes from multiplying $150,000 by 243 compositions across three platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp), for a total of 729 infringement claims.9Billboard. Eminem Music Publisher Meta Licensing Lawsuit10Action News Jax. Eminem’s Publishing Company Sues Meta for $109M Over Unauthorized Use of Music Meta has called the number “fanciful.”
What the Judge Ruled in June 2026
On June 16, 2026, Judge Brandy R. McMillion issued a split ruling on Meta’s motion to dismiss.11Music Business Worldwide. Order on Motion to Dismiss, Eight Mile Style v. Meta
The direct infringement claim survived. Judge McMillion held that the allegation Meta stored all 243 compositions in its libraries without permission, taken as true, “can plausibly be construed as constituting reproduction of the copyrighted work.” Because copyright owners have the exclusive right to reproduce their work, unauthorized storage “would create an unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted material.” The complaint, the judge wrote, “states enough to plausibly claim infringing acts by Meta.”9Billboard. Eminem Music Publisher Meta Licensing Lawsuit
The three secondary claims were dismissed.12Bloomberg Law. Eminem Publisher Advances Core Copyright Claims Against Meta Inducement was rejected as not a standalone cause of action. On contributory infringement, the judge applied the Supreme Court’s 2026 decision in Cox Communications, Inc. v. Sony Music Entertainment, which held that a service provider is contributorily liable only if it intended its service to be used for infringement, shown either through active inducement or by providing a service with no substantial non-infringing uses.13U.S. Supreme Court. Cox Communications, Inc. v. Sony Music Entertainment The judge wrote that the court was “unwilling to equate an encouragement to use the tools with an encouragement to infringe, especially when the tools can be used in a non-infringing way.” On vicarious infringement, the court accepted that Meta could supervise users but found the allegation of a direct financial benefit tied to the specific Eminem compositions conclusory.
The order did not specify whether the secondary claims were dismissed with or without prejudice, leaving open the possibility that Eight Mile Style could refile them with more specific evidence.
What Happens Next
Meta was ordered to answer the surviving direct infringement claim by July 7, 2026, and the case is entering discovery. The docket does not yet show scheduling orders or a trial date.14Court Listener. Eight Mile Style, LLC v. Meta Platforms, Inc.
Two questions will drive the case from here. Can Meta prove it actually held a license to the Eight Mile catalog through Audiam? And can Eight Mile Style show that Meta’s storage of the compositions was willful, which is what unlocks the $150,000-per-work ceiling on damages?
A Separate Meta Music Suit to Not Confuse This With
Meta is fighting a second, unrelated music copyright case. In January 2026, Wixen Music Publishing sued Meta in the Central District of California, alleging continued use of more than 330 works, including songs by The Doors, Weezer, The Black Keys, Missy Elliott, and Santana, after their licensing deal expired in December 2025. Wixen is seeking at least $70 million and has added defamation and interference claims, alleging Meta falsely told artists the takedowns were the publisher’s choice.15Music Business Worldwide. Wixen Files Copyright Suit Against Meta16Billboard. Meta Music Lawsuit: Publisher Wixen Sues Over AI Music Meta moved to dismiss in June 2026, and that motion is pending.17Court Listener. Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. v. Meta Platforms, Inc. It is a different plaintiff, a different catalog, and a different court from the Eminem case.