- Rap superstar Eminem has promised to donate money from lawsuit to charity
- He claims he did not initiate the lawsuit against the New Zealand National party
- The party was found to be in breach of copyright after using a campaign song
Rap superstar Eminem will donate the money he receives as a result of a payout from a New Zealand political party over a copyright breach.
The New Zealand National party was ordered to pay $600,000 to Eminem’s publishers Eight Mile Style in a High Court ruling on Wednesday.
The lawsuit stemmed from the use of a song called ‘Eminem Esque’ in a National campaign television advertisement ahead of the 2014 general election.
Rap superstar Eminem will donate the money he receives as a result of a payout from a New Zealand political party over a copyright breach
The song was ruled to be too similar to the rapper’s hit ‘Lose Yourself’ and infringed on copyright.
A spokesman for the rapper said he did not initiate the lawsuit which was initiated in 2014.
‘Eminem was not a party to this lawsuit nor was he consulted regarding the case,’ he said.
‘Any monetary settlement he receives from it will be donated to hurricane relief.
‘He encourages the plaintiffs, Eight Mile Style, to do the same.’
According to the court ruling the differences between the two songs were ‘minimal’ and they were ‘strikingly similar’.
The New Zealand National party was ordered to pay $600,000 to Eminem’s publishers Eight Mile Style (National leader Bill English pictured)