Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has been ordered to sit for a deposition regarding a copyright lawsuit over Eminem’s music, a federal judge ruled on Thursday. Magistrate Judge Jeffery S. Frensley felt that Ek’s excuse of not being personally involved in “day-to-day” licensing operations is not legitimate.
Eminem’s publishing company, Eight Mile Style, is accusing Spotify of streaming Eminem’s music “billions of times” without proper licensing permission. The lawsuit was filed back in 2019.
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“Undoubtedly Mr. Ek has a full schedule [and] the Court credits Spotify’s assertion that he is very busy indeed,” Judge Frensley wrote, earlier this week. “Yet, the issue of proper licensing relationships with the artists whose work comprises the entirety of Spotify’s business and its sole product is surely also a matter of importance to Spotify, worthy of some of Mr. Ek’s time and attention.”
Spotify claims the deposition is being held solely to “harass and annoy” Ek.
The lawsuit lists 250 songs from Eminem’s catalog, including “Lose Yourself.”
Ek will not be allowed to be deposed for longer than three hours and will be allowed to attend remotely. While a trial is scheduled for September 2023, a date for Ek’s deposition has not been set.
[Via]