Eminem at the 2014 MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles, California.
Kevork Djansezian/Getty
A New Zealand judge has ruled that the conservative National Party breached copyright on Eminem's "Lose Yourself" when they used a similar song in its campaign ads. Billboard reports that High Court Judge Helen Cull ordered the party to pay the Detroit rapper 600,000 New Zealand dollars ($415,000) plus interest in damages.
The party used the Eminem-esque song during its successful 2014 election campaign. However, it was pulled from air after Eminem filed proceedings against them. Listen to their song below.
"We think it’s a very strong judgment, and a cautionary tale for people who make or use sound-alikes around the world,” said Adam Simpson, a Sydney-based lawyer who represented Eminem publisher Eight Mile Style.
National Party President Peter Goodfellow said in statement that the party purchased the music from an Australia-based library that had bought it from a U.S. supplier. They are considering their next steps and have lodged a claim against the company that supplied them with the song.
