Eminem has sued New Zealand’s governing over one of his biggest hits it used for a campaign ad.
The rapper says the song, used in the 2014 advert by the National Party, was an unlicensed version of Lose Yourself.
However, the party’s lawyers argue it was not actually Lose Yourself, but a track called Eminem-esque which they bought from a stock music library.
The case began on May 1, with the two tracks played in court.
A lawyer for Eight Mile Style – a publishing group representing the artist – said Lose Yourself was “iconic” and “without doubt the jewel in the crown of Eminem‘s musical work”.
The 2014 ad featured shots of rowers and a voiceover urging people to “keep the team that’s working” and return the National Party to office at the coming election.
The backing track, Eminem-esque, was strikingly similar to Lose Yourself, which appeared in Eminem‘s 2002 film 8 Mile.
It had the same insistent driving rhythm, though did not feature any words.
Image source Flickr
The track had been taken from a library made by production music company Beatbox.
Songs which sound similar to famous tracks – but different enough to avoid breaching copyright – routinely feature in free-to-use commercial music libraries.
However, Eight Mile Style lawyer Gary Williams said the use of the song had been a breach of copyright.
Gary Williams told the court that emails showed some in the National Party campaign team had raised copyright concerns at the time, but decided the composer, not them, would be liable.
That was “just wrong, in law” he said, according to the New Zealand Herald.
Gary Williams said permission had only very rarely been given for use of Lose Yourself.
“When licensed, it can command in the millions of dollars. That’s how valuable it is,” he said.
The National Party denies being responsible for any copyright infringement.
Defense lawyer Greg Arthur said copyright was “not in any way proven by the name given to a piece of music”.
Mariah Carey and Eminem long-running feud continues.
Eminem, now 41, famously claimed that he and Mariah Carey had a relationship after their meeting in 2001.
Mariah Carey’s pointed response on the matter was her 2009 smash Obsessed, which inspired a video that featured herself in male drag as, presumably, Eminem himself.
On the Sunday episode of Watch What Happens Live!, Andy Cohen broached the topic to Mariah Carey during a round of Plead the Fifth by asking her to say three nice things about Eminem.
Mariah Carey and Eminem long-running feud continues
Mariah Carey response was sweetly sarcastic: “They come in a package that you can carry wherever you go. People love them around the world, and they’re tasty. You can have peanut or the regular kind.”
“Oh my god, I love it!” Andy Cohen replied.
Mariah Carey also revealed that she and husband Nick Cannon won’t be adding to their brood ever: “Here’s the thing, I’m responsible for the kids for like forever. They didn’t ask for this lifestyle but here they are.”
The first ever YouTube awards were held in New York and presided by Jason Schwartzman and Reggie Watts.
The event featured Eminem, Lady Gaga and M.I.A making live music videos directed by the awards’ creator, Spike Jonze, and others.
Eminem won Artist of the Year, while Taylor Swift’s I Knew You Were Trouble took the YouTube Phenomenon award.
The ceremony was streamed live online.
The inaugural YouTube awards reflect an increasing trend for people to turn to the internet, rather than television and radio, for music and video
Nominees were chosen by taking into account the YouTube views, likes, comments and subscription figures for different artists.
Indie actress Greta Gerwig kicked off proceedings at the sprawling Pier 36 venue, performing in a live video for Arcade Fire and their new song Afterlife.
Lady Gaga was up next, tears rolling down her cheeks as she performed her single Dope for the first time wearing a baseball cap and flannel shirt.
The coveted Video of the Year award went to South Korean group Girls’ Generation for their song I Got A Boy, while Innovation of the Year went to DeStorm Power, the YouTube user whose 250 videos on the website have been watched more than 200 million times.
The inaugural YouTube awards reflect an increasing trend for people to turn to the internet, rather than television and radio, for music and video.
In August last year, the Nielsen rating agency published a survey in which 64% of American adolescents said they listened to music on YouTube, compared with 56% who listened to radio.
The first festival held in two different places over one weekend, V Festival 2011, started in England on Saturday, August 20, and it will close on Sunday, August 21.
Rihanna is singing at V Festival 2011 (Photo shows Rihanna during Loud Tour)
The V Festival is an annual rock music event held at two parks simultaneously, Hylands Park in Chelmsford and Weston Park in South Staffordshire. Musicians sing at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. It is a predominantly rock music festival, but other musical genres are accepted, pop has become common in the last years.
This year many genres (rock, pop, rap, R&B) are blending in entertaining and exciting performances.
Eminen, Rihanna, Artic Monkeys, Plan B, The Script, Manic Street Preachers, Kaiser Chiefs, LostProphets at “Virgin Media” stage.
“Music” venue features Pendulum, Primal Scream, The Courteeners, The Wobats, N-Dubz, Dizzie Rascal, Razorlight, Tinie Tempah, Jessie J, Example.
Calvin Harris, Mark Ronson & The Business Intl, The Wanted, Big Audio Dynamite, Hurts, The Saturdays, Chase and Status, GlasVegas, Kathy B, Professor Green, whiz Kalifa at “The Arena” stage.
The “Undercover” venue presents Jaguar Skills, Wolf Gang, The Pierces, Goldie Lookin Chain, The Airborne Toxic Event.
For fans who could not come to V Festival 2011, the official website is streaming live the event to introduce them into the atmosphere.
Weston Park is one of the sites of V Festival 2011
Although the copyright might impede this kind of strategies, it seems that they are beginning to spread, making the events more popular. We mentioned classical music events that was broadcasted on the internet, or that are going to be aired online partially (George Enescu Festival 2011).
The “V” means the Virgin Group, the event being sponsored by Virgin Media and broadcasted on 4 Music and Channel 4.
“V Festival has being going strong as one of the UK’s leading music festivals since 1996. The first festival to take place across two different sites over one weekend, Virgin’s very own brand of rock ‘n’ roll festivities in a field now reaches across the whole wide world.” Virgin Festivals said.
Virgin Festival Canada (from late June to late August) and Virgin Mobile FreeFest in September at Merriweather Post Pavilion (Jimi Hendrix sang here) in Columbia, Maryland, along with V Festival 2011 are parts of Virgin Festivals.
[googlead tip=”vertical_mic”]Two stages of the Belgian music festival Pukkelpop 2011 have collapsed after a sudden storm and at least 3 people died.
The victims were all attending Pukkelpop 2011 festival near the town Hasselt, east of Brussels, when the storm struck, bringing the stages down.
Hilde Claes, the mayor of the town of Hasselt, where Pukkelpop festival is held each year, confirmed two of the deaths earlier this evening, but reports emerging from Belgium have said that at least 3 festival-goers have been killed. The mayor also said those injured are taken to several nearby hospitals. Some of those lightly injured were being treated at a local sports complex.
Two stages of the Belgian music festival Pukkelpop 2011 have collapsed after a sudden storm and at least 3 people died
More than 70 people have been injured, according to another official.[googlead tip=”patrat_mediu” aliniat=”dreapta”]
Hugo Simons, Hasselt’s head of emergency planning, told VRT radio that 11 people were severely injured while 60 have light injuries as a result of the storm.
More than 20 ambulances were dispatched to the Pukkelpop ground.
“We have for now put the festival on hold until we understand the situation completely.”
Earlier reports of the Belgian media said four people had been killed.
The stages were destroyed by falling trees during severe storms.
3 deaths and 71 people injured after stage collapsed at Pukkelpop festival in Belgium
[googlead tip=”lista_medie” aliniat=”stanga”]The situation is still unclear at Pukkelpop festival’s location, about 75 km east of Belgium capital, Brussels.
According to NME, the rest of the night’s schedule will more-than-likely be called off. Rap star Eminem is due to headline the concert tomorrow night.
Jared Leto, lead singer of 30 Seconds to Mars, was due to headline on the collapsed stage later tonight. He has just tweeted:
”Serious injuries at the festival. More bad weather poss heading this way. Please take care and caution!”
Local TV footage from the scene, showed fallen stage rigging and people scrambling for cover and rain-soaked festival attendees bracing against strong winds. Fallen gantries and rigging could be seen on the ground.
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Belgian media reported that trees were uprooted by the violent storm and smashed into the stage, bringing it down.
Some festival-goers said on the Twitter website that a tornado had struck.
According to BBC, the storms swept across Belgium in the early evening, turning the sky dark.
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About 60,000 people were believed to attend the three-day Pukkelpop music festival, one of Europe’s largest outdoor festivals.
This evening, Pukkelpop organizers posted on the festival website:
“The Pukkelpop organisation has decided to cancel all shows tonight out of respect for the victims. We want to make our hearts and our minds silent for the festival goers that we lost and the ones that were injured.”
Last week, 5 people were killed at Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis, US, when a stage collapsed in high winds.
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