Rapper Eminem has brought a lawsuit against social networking giant Facebook and its ad agency Wieden + Kennedy, alleging that the companies used one of his songs in a Facebook Home advertisement without his permission.
Eminem is alluding to a 30-second Facebook ad broadcast online in April that seemingly copied music from his 2000 song “Under the Influence.” The advertisement, named “Airplane,” was first released in a webcast by Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg to announce Facebook Home, an interface for Android phones.
In the 12-page complaint, the rapper claims that the music in the advertisement was modified slightly after the premiere, and argues that the alteration represents an admission by Facebook that the music was used without permission.
The suit also names Facebook’s ad agency in the case, and says the company used the song in the webcast “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.”
The lawsuit has not named the amount of compensatory damages it may be seeking from the social networking site as of yet. Facebook has not yet issued a response to the lawsuit.
Several musicians have been in the hot seat as of late for similar violations of entertainment law, including Usher, Justin Bieber, and country singer Tim McGraw, all of whom are facing lawsuits relating to copyright infringement.
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