apple news/media reports
07/31/2007, 9:30am, EDT
Tuesday, July 31st
Apple sued by Eminem publishers over iTunes
Apple is the target of a lawsuit connected to the music of pop rapper Eminem, according to new reports. Filed in the US District Court in Detroit, Eminem's home city, the complaint by Eight Mile Style and Martin Affiliated -- Eminem's publisher and copyright manager, respectively -- alleges that Apple broke copyright by selling Eminem downloads neither company authorized. Apple is instead said to be dealing exclusively with the record label Universal, which is also accused of making unauthorized deals, though it is unknown whether the latter will also be sued in the future.
California entertainment lawyer Owen Sloane notes that the Apple suit is emblematic of a major issue in the music industry, since while many labels have the rights to sell CDs of an artist's work, this may not automatically extend to downloads. "You're going to see more of these suits," says Sloane.
At stake is the publisher's share of each track sold. Apple normally charges 99 cents per song, but approximately 70 cents of this goes to the label, which in turn pays an average of 9 cents to the publisher. The label must then pay the artist, who either receives an equal share under a license agreement, or a much smaller amount under sales royalties.
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In all seriousness, I really think Eminem should be stabbed in the face with a rusty kitchen knife (as with all "white boys who wish they weren't").
He'd better release on Vinyl only then, CD is digital music, I seriously doubt there is anything in the contract as to how distribution is handled. If he is worried about pirating, it is better to sell on iTunes, since the file is protected better by DRM. I would expect this from an older artist that isn't with technology, but seriously get with it MAN!
I guess you missed the whole hair band thing.
If one listens to country and western music frequently, does one think he/she is a "cowboy"? Of course not, that would be ludicrous.
But why do people who listen to gangster rap think that they are a "gangster"?
See what I did there....
Just because apple has an agreement doesn't mean they are safe from a lawsuit. They have to show they had no foreknowledge of their violation. If they had been informed, and did nothing, they are liable.
This is to avoid those who might try to use such a loophole to, say, start up a small corporation, sell rights to songs they don't own to places like apple, rake in dough and funnel it out of the country, then file for bankruptcy when they get sued.