Eminem's publisher and "copyright manager," Eight Mile Style and Martin Affiliated, respectively, have filed a lawsuit against Apple claiming that the company cannot sell Eminem's music on iTunes because his label -- Universal -- did not have the right to license the songs to Apple in the first place.
Publishers are normally cut in on the action, but apparently, this one wants more, and its move could spark a trend that could undermine digital music licensing -- or at least put another hundred or so lawyers' kids through college.
When Apple sells DRMed songs for $0.99, it gives about $0.70 to the label, which then in turn gives $0.091 cents to the publisher, unless an alternate arrangement has been made. Entertainment lawyer Owen Sloane told the Detroit News, "There are a number of unresolved issues... You'regoing to see more of these suits."
Eminem's publishing company has sued before regarding Universal's licensing of his music -- when Universal licensed his music first to Apple for a 2004 ad, and later that same year to to stop Eminem ringtones from being sold by Universal-licensed companies over the internet.
Record labels have the right to distribute CDs, but this lawsuit implies that they don't have the right to distribute music digitally, and the squabbling continues. Oh, the headaches... lawsuits like this make many of us wish the traditional music business would just finish dying already, so that something that makes sense can take its place.
