**Lawyers for Eminem have sent a letter to aspiring Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy asking that he stop rapping to his songs. ** The letter comes more than a week after the biotech entrepreneur delivered an impromptu performance of “Lose Yourself” at the Iowa State Fair.
The letter, dated 23 August, was sent by Eminem’s record company, BMI.
Mr Ramaswamy is vying to unseat Donald Trump as the presumed 2024 Republican nominee.
A spokeswoman for Mr Ramaswamy said he will comply with the request by Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers III.
The letter says the company “received a communication from” Eminem objecting to the Republican’s use of his “musical compositions”.
“BMI will consider any performance of the Eminem works by the Vivek 2024 campaign from this date forward to be a material breach” of its licence, it adds.
Referring to an Eminem lyric, campaign spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to US media: “Vivek just got on the stage and cut loose.”
“To the American people’s chagrin, we will have to leave the rapping to the real slim shady.”
Mr Ramaswamy posted on X, formally known as Twitter, to make light of the situation.
“Will The REAL Slim Shady Please Stand Up? He didn’t just say what I think he did, did he?” he wrote.
The 38-year-old political newcomer is seen as a rising star in the campaign following a strong performance at last week’s Republican debate.
He has positioned himself as an outsider willing to develop former President Trump’s “America First” agenda.
Politicians being sent cease and desist letters over their campaign song choices has become something of a tradition in American politics.
Mr Trump received dozens of letters from record stars - including the Rolling Stones, Queen, Adele and Pharrell Williams - informing him he lacked permission to use their music at campaign and presidential events.
In 2008, the Foo Fighters spoke out against Republican John McCain for using their tune My Hero during his presidential run and Jackson Browne filed suit against the campaign to force it stop using the song “Running on Empty”.
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The very act of political candidates coming out on stage to populat music like wrestlers seems bizarre enough to my non-American brain. The fact that they don’t seem to realise they need permission to use licensed works when they’re trying to run a country is even more bizarre.
I don’t know about this case, but in the past, the candidate had purchased a block of rights from a record company so they had the rights to use it but something about the way those contracts work allows the original artist to forbid them from using it even after purchasing. I’m not an expert by any means though.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they do know, and this is all just free “look at me! I’m being told what to do by the man!” publicity.
Lol, imagine telling my 13 year old self listening to The Slim Shady LP that Eminem would be considered part of the establishment one day 😆
Welp, I guess they’ll have to go back to Ted Nugent on loop
He isn’t white, so I don’t think Ted Nugent wants him using his music either if you catch my drift.
That’s what I said. Tad Nugent.
I’m lovin’ it.
I’m pretty sure McD’s would join the suits if any campaigner ever tried to use that one….
I do like the idea of some hardline republicans buying Big Macs just to burn them
How the fuck an immigrant became a republican? His name looks like an Indian. If republican people have absolute power these kind of people won’t even be able to touch their foot in the USA.
Because his net worth is over a billion.
You can’t run for president if you’re not a natural-born US citizen. His name doesn’t mean he was born elsewhere. If the idea is that he’s a second or more generation immigrant, so is everyone that isn’t a First Nations citizen.
But yeah, anyone part of a group the Republican party hates (POC, LGBTQ+, working class, etc) that supports the party has some bizarre cognitive dissonance going on.
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Dude, he was born in Cincinnati. It’s not even weird for a Cincinnatian to have an Indian af name and immigrant parents. Unfortunately it’s also not weird for such Cincinnatians to be republicans.
Brahmins gonna Brahmin.
How the fuck people like you so out and racist?
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Lawyers for Eminem have sent a letter to aspiring Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy asking that he stop rapping to his songs.
The letter comes more than a week after the biotech entrepreneur delivered an impromptu performance of “Lose Yourself” at the Iowa State Fair.
A spokeswoman for Mr Ramaswamy said he will comply with the request by Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers III.
“BMI will consider any performance of the Eminem works by the Vivek 2024 campaign from this date forward to be a material breach” of its licence, it adds.
Referring to an Eminem lyric, campaign spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to US media: “Vivek just got on the stage and cut loose.”
Mr Trump received dozens of letters from record stars - including the Rolling Stones, Queen, Adele and Pharrell Williams - informing him he lacked permission to use their music at campaign and presidential events.
The original article contains 349 words, the summary contains 153 words. Saved 56%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
good bot
Wow BMI actually doing something…useful??
Hmm, I don’t know how this could possibly be taken seriously in a court, otherwise any video out there of anyone singing a song would be included in some sort of infringement.
ASCAP doesn’t cover political campaigns. Also, most campaigns don’t want to be seen performing an artist’s work against their direct wishes; it doesn’t tend to look good.
Cover songs have always been a copyright violation, it’s just that musicians don’t go after them cause they will almost always look like the asshole for doing so, and the companies normally dont because the amount of money they would be able to get out of the lawsuit wouldn’t normally be worth it.
There is a ton of licensing that is occurring behind the scenes.
Typically, the venue pays for it but other arrangements are possible including explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Obligatory: fuck copyright law. Stupid idea that dates back to when owning people was still cool. Society operated just fine without for hundreds of thousands of years. No one should be allowed to own culture.
While technically cover songs are copyright infringement, anyone can cover a song as long as they obtain a mechanical license and follow some guidelines.
I think copyright should be abolished and replaced by a tax that pays artists, writers, journalists, and musicians. This will eliminate the middleman copyright legal industry and allow for far more creativity.
People from both sides listen to Eminem. I’m sure he doesn’t want to alienate millions of people through something like this.
Not to mention musicians could start having trouble protecting their copyright if they don’t stop their songs from being played without their permission.
You clearly haven’t listened to Eminem…the guy who has openly made songs where he insults Bush and Trump, by name, inducing their followers.
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As I recall, Eminem hates fascists and he wants them to stop listening to his music - even willingly giving them the middle finger as is required. But please don’t take my word for it.
Eminem fucking hates these fascist idiots. There’s a reason he didn’t send a cease and desist to Obama when he played “lose yourself” before a speech, and he has been very vocal about how much he hates Trump and people like Trump. Vivek is just a Trump wannabe.
Considering Obamas administration was basically just 8 more years of Bush policy, I assume that reason started and ended with the letter after his name
I’ll just leave this here
Ain’t nothin’ you say could ever trump (Nah), mic, pencil get killed (Yeah) If you’re hypersensitive, I wasn’t referencin’ the vice president, chill (Chill) I mean my penmanship at times tends to get ill, violence but with skill That’s why I hence when I write ends up with the mic and pencil gettin’ killed (Haha)
-Eminem, Gnat
and
But if I could go back, I’d at least reword it And say I empathize with the people this evil serpent Sold the dream to that he’s deserted But I think it’s workin’ These verses are makin’ him a wee bit nervous And he’s too scurred to answer me with words 'Cause he knows that he will lyrically get murdered But I know at least he’s heard it ‘Cause Agent Orange just sent the Secret Service To meet in person to see if I really think of hurtin’ him Or ask if I’m linked to terrorists I said, “Only when it comes to ink and lyricists”
Eminem- The Ringer
Copyright doesn’t work like that; that’s trade marks that have to be protected. Copyright belongs to the artist by default, and damages can be significant IF it is registered AND a suit is filed.
yeah I’m sure stopping one slimy POS from using his music is gonna alienate a lot of people lol
I think they meant the other way. Letting this guy perform his music could turn people off.
