From Detroit Free Press, where you can check out the full, detailed write-up:
Eminem’s song publisher is suing Facebook and its ad agency, claiming they infringed the Detroit rapper’s copyright.
In the 12-page complaint, filed Monday evening in Detroit federal court, Ferndale-based Eight Mile Style contends that a Facebook ad that was broadcast online April 4 copied music from Eminem’s 2000 song “Under the Influence.”
The 30-second ad, dubbed “Airplane,” was featured in a webcast by Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg to announce Facebook Home, an interface for Android phones. Some viewers at the time noted a similarity between the ad’s music and Eminem’s song.
Eight Mile Style oversees rights and licensing for Eminem’s song catalog.
The complaint claims the ad agency, Wieden+Kennedy of Portland, Ore., copied Eminem’s music “in an effort to curry favor with Facebook by catering to Zuckerberg’s personal likes and interests, and/or to invoke the same irreverent theme” of the rapper’s song.
A Facebook spokesperson declined to comment on the suit. The Free Press has contacted an attorney for Wieden+Kennedy seeking comment.
