Entertainment
US rapper sues New Zealand ruling party for copyright
American rapper Eminem has sued New Zealand’s conservative National Party, after claims that his 2002 song was copied in the party’s soundtrack for a TV ad aired during its successful 2014 election campaign without his consent.
Reports say nine lawyers in a New Zealand courtroom did listen politely to Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” as a copyright trial involving the country’s ruling political party which began on Monday.
Spokespeople for both Joyce and the National Party said Monday they wouldn’t be commenting while the case was before the court.
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But the party has previously said it purchased the track through an Australian-based supplier and doesn’t believe it has infringed anyone’s copyright.
Speaking outside the court, Joel Martin, a spokesman for Eminem’s music publishers, said he was surprised the two sides hadn’t settled and that going to trial against an entity like a governing political party was unusual and extraordinary.
“The bottom line is we would never have permitted the use of the song in any political advertisement,” he said.
Martin said the publishers are seeking both a cash settlement for an undisclosed amount and an acknowledgement by the court that the National Party breached copyright.
He said that by pursuing the case, they are showing they take copyright infringement around the world seriously.
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