New Zealand’s National Party and Prime Minister John Key allegedly tried to connect with younger voters by using Eminem’s Grammy Award-winning “Lose Yourself” for one of their reelection ads.
Now, they’re being sued for “unauthorized usage” of the record.
The Guardian confirmed with The Ministry of Justice in Wellington that the paperwork had already been filed following the airing of the television commercial.
“It is both disappointing and sadly ironic that the political party responsible for championing the rights of music publishers in New Zealand by the introduction of the three strikes copyright reforms should itself have so little regard for copyright,” Joel Martin, representative for Eight Mile Style said.
According to the Los Angeles Times, a label spokesman for Shady Records denied the lawsuit was Eminem’s idea but stood behind it saying “While he opposes the unauthorized use of his music, in this instance the infringement claim in question was initiated by the publisher of his early song catalog, not by Eminem himself.”
Released in 2002, “Lose Yourself” was the flagship single for Eminem’s 8 Mile soundtrack for the movie of the same name. It went on to go 6X platinum on its own. Eight Mile Style is seeking unspecified damages for the copyright infringement.
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Photo: YouTube
