Eight Mile Style Drops Lawsuit Against LaFontaine Ford St. Clair Over Unauthorized Use of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself”

Eight Mile Style, the publishing company that holds the copyright to Eminem’s iconic song “Lose Yourself,” has voluntarily dropped its lawsuit against LaFontaine Ford St. Clair. The lawsuit, initially filed in January, accused the Detroit-area car dealership of using the song in TikTok videos to promote a special edition truck without permission.

The decision to drop the case came with no explanation in court, but Howard Hertz, an attorney for Eight Mile Style, later issued a statement to Billboard. In his statement, Hertz confirmed that the matter had been resolved and that the video containing the song had been removed from all platforms. “The composition, ‘Lose Yourself,’ was wrongfully used without a license. The parties have resolved the matter,” he said.

Eight Mile Style, which owns the copyright to several of Eminem’s hit songs, filed the lawsuit for what it called “willful copyright infringement.” The company claimed LaFontaine Ford had used the song in online advertisements for its car dealerships, violating the exclusive rights it holds. Eminem himself, however, was not involved in the lawsuit, as he does not own the publishing company.

“Lose Yourself,” released in 2002 as the lead single from the soundtrack of Eminem’s film 8 Mile, became a cultural and commercial phenomenon. The song spent 12 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and made history as the first hip-hop song to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song. It also helped Eminem win Grammy Awards for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Solo Performance.

In other news related to Eminem, his upcoming documentary STANS—produced by his Shady Films production company—will be premiering at the SXSW London Screen Festival on June 2. The documentary, named after his hit song “Stan,” will delve into the psychology of artists’ most devoted fans. For those unable to attend the festival, the film will be available for streaming on Paramount+ later this year.

The resolution of the lawsuit highlights the continuing importance of protecting intellectual property in the digital age, as well as the influence Eminem’s music continues to have across various industries.