Eminem’s Publisher Sues Detroit Dealership Over Unauthorized Use of ‘Lose Yourself’

DETROIT, Mich. — Eminem’s music publisher, Eight Mile Style, LLC, has filed a federal lawsuit against a Metro Detroit car dealership for allegedly using the rapper’s hit song “Lose Yourself” without permission in online advertisements. The lawsuit, filed on January 27, 2025, accuses LaFontaine Ford St. Clair, Inc. of copyright infringement for using the track to promote special edition Detroit Lions F-150 pickup trucks.

The ads, which ran from September to October 2024 on platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, featured the song alongside the caption: “You only get one shot to own a Special Edition Detroit Lions F-150.” The lawsuit claims the dealership used the song “in blatant disregard of the exclusive rights vested in Eight Mile.”

Howard Hertz, the attorney representing Eight Mile Style and Martin Affiliated, LLC, stated in the lawsuit that LaFontaine’s actions “usurped plaintiffs’ exclusive rights to determine when and under what terms the composition may be used for commercial endorsements and advertising.” He added that the unauthorized use “materially diminished the future value of the composition” for potential commercial opportunities.

Eight Mile Style is seeking at least $150,000 in damages, an injunction to remove the video, and a court order for LaFontaine to cease using the song. The publisher also requested that U.S. District Judge Gershwin Drain find the dealership guilty of copyright infringement and award actual damages and profits attributable to the alleged violations.

LaFontaine Ford St. Clair, Inc., part of the LaFontaine Automotive Group, has not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit. Max Muncey, head of corporate communications for the group, said an official statement would be released soon.

“Lose Yourself,” written by Eminem (Marshall Mathers), Jeffrey Bass, and Louis Resto for the 2002 film *8 Mile*, has become one of the rapper’s most iconic tracks. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2003 and has been certified 13 times platinum. The song has been at the center of multiple copyright disputes, including a 2017 case in New Zealand where a political party was ordered to pay NZ$600,000 (£314,000) for using a sound-alike version in a campaign ad.

This lawsuit marks the latest in a series of legal battles over the commercial use of “Lose Yourself.” Previous cases include settlements with Apple and Audi, as well as a high-profile licensing deal with Chrysler for a Super Bowl ad featuring Eminem in 2011.

Eminem, who released his latest album *The Death of Slim Shady* in 2024, has not publicly commented on the lawsuit. The album received mixed reviews, with critics noting its introspective moments, including a heartfelt track dedicated to his daughter, Hailie.