In July's development of the Eminem vs. Spotify lawsuit over unpaid royalties, the Harry Fox Agency (HFA) has filed a strong rebuttal against allegations of their involvement in a purported "fraudulent scheme."

The lawsuit, initiated by Eight Mile Style in August 2019, claims Spotify infringed on 243 of Eminem's tracks. The potential penalties could reach $36.45 million ($150,000 per track) if willful copyright infringement is proven. Eight Mile Style also seeks additional compensation from streaming revenue and equity interest.

Spotify maintains its innocence, stating Eight Mile Style has "received substantial royalty payments" for nearly a decade. The streaming platform further implicated Kobalt Music Publishing, asserting they were properly licensed through them to distribute Eminem's compositions.

Eight Mile Style subsequently added HFA as a defendant, alleging both companies orchestrated a scheme to hide Spotify's failure to obtain proper mechanical licenses. HFA has now filed a motion in Nashville federal court requesting an oral argument to address these claims, citing the case's complex nature.

Key developments:

• Eight Mile Style seeks $36.45 million in damages plus streaming revenue share
• Spotify claims proper licensing through Kobalt Music Publishing
• HFA requests oral arguments to address fraud allegations
• Case involves complex mechanical licensing and royalty distribution issues

Spotify continues to expand its business operations, recently patenting AI-powered "spoken words analyzer" technology and planning its South Korean market entry in early 2021.

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