Eminem is not the plaintiff in the lawsuit. Eight Mile Style, which manages his early music catalog, filed the suit instead. It’s important to note that Eminem doesn’t own Eight Mile Style.
While Eminem is fiercely loyal to his home state, he’s not so supportive when it comes to a Michigan Ford dealership using his most famous song to promote limited edition trucks.
Eight Mile Style, which oversees part of Em’s music catalog, filed a lawsuit against LaFontaine Ford St. Clair — which owns several dealerships — over an online advertisement it launched last fall to promote a special edition Detroit Lions F-150.
The ad uses “Lose Yourself” as its soundtrack and includes a tagline: “You only get one shot to own a Special Edition Detroit Lions F-150.”
It’s a clever move, and the dealership may have assumed that with Eminem being a huge Lions fan, he would let it slide. But as the rapper himself would say, “Snap back to reality” … he’s not letting it go.
In the lawsuit, filed in federal court, Eight Mile Style argues that the Oscar-winning track is extremely valuable, a fact they know well since it was licensed to Chrysler for a 2011 Super Bowl commercial. Eight Mile claims the legal use of the song generated millions in sales for Chrysler, so they’re certainly not giving the Ford dealership a free pass.
They’re seeking monetary damages and want the dealership to take down the ad immediately or face further legal action. We’ve reached out to LaFontaine Ford St. Clair