Eminem sues Apple

Aug 1, 2007, 13:00 GMT

Eminem EPA/GIOVANNI CANITANO

Eminem is suing Apple for selling his music online without his permission.

The 'Stan' rapper's representatives have demanded that the corporation stop selling between 70 and 80 of his tracks for download on their iTunes website.

Eminem is also demanding more than $150,000 in compensation for infringement of copyright for each time one of his songs is downloaded.

The lawsuit has been filed by music publishers Eight Mile Style and copyright managers Martin Affiliated on behalf of the hip-hop star - real name Marshall Mathers.

Eight Mile Style administrator Joel Martin said: "Generally, artists want their music sold. We want it downloaded. But we request that any provider that's offering downloads licence it through the publisher. Apple is not accounting to us."

Apple received permission to sell his music online from Universal Music Group, which receives a portion of Eminem's iTunes sales.

However, Eight Mile Style and Martin Affiliated claim they never gave Universal Music Group permission to put his music online.

The lawsuit is also demanding $75,000 for the copyright violation and the unfair competition the downloads posed to Eminem's record sales.

Labels that own recordings typically receive approximately 70 cents from every 99-cent iTunes download, and about nine cents of that usually goes to the music publisher, which owns the rights to scores and lyrics.

Eminem and Apple fell out in 2004 when the video for his track 'Lose Yourself' was used in an iTunes advert. The case was settled out of court.

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