Eminem's company loses its court battle against the National Party

Eminem's music-publishing company Eight Mile Style and Martin Affiliated have been ordered to pay $4,500 in costs ​after the Supreme Court declined their appeal.

The American companies who both own the copyright to Eminem's song Lose Yourself first succeeded in establishing a breach of copyright after the National Party was found to use a soundtrack infringing the musical work of the song.

The National Party was ordered to pay damages of $600,000 to the applicants (collectively, Eight Mile) but the party appealed to the Court of Appeal on the cost of the damages, which was reduced to just $225,000.

Following the decision, Eight Mile sought leave to appeal in the Supreme Court against the Court of Appeal's decision.

Photo / Getty Images

However, the country's highest court won't hear the case after declining to give leave this afternoon.

It comes after the High Court deemed in 2017 that Eminem Esque, a song used in a National Party election ad in 2014, breached copyright of Eminem's song Lose Yourself.

Justice Helen Cull instructed the party to pay $600,000 to Eminem and his representatives for using the alternative version.

The party lodged an appeal against the fee and in December last year, the Court of Appeal ruled the National Party would pay only $225,000 in damages.

Questioned about the stoush in 2014, National's campaign manager Steven Joyce said the National Party thought using the music was "pretty legal".

The National Party bought Eminem Esque from a company called Beatbox, which in turn bought the licence from California-based music library Labrador.

This article was originally published at nzherald.co.nz and is reproduced here with permission