(Detroit Free Press)- Eminem is driving away from an Audi legal battle with a settlement agreement, and several Detroit organizations are riding shotgun.
The German automaker has ended a dispute with representatives of the Detroit rapper over a "Lose Yourself" sound-alike song, according to a joint statement released this morning to the Free Press by Ferndale's 8 Mile Style.
Terms were not disclosed, but the agreement does call for Audi to "support the revitalization of Detroit by contributing to selected social projects."
Organizations were not named, but the deal ties into a new Imported From Detroit project that "will be announced soon," said 8 Mile Style's Joel Martin, who oversees Eminem's song rights.
"Just like Imported From Detroit helped benefit charities like the Marshall Mathers Foundation, we as Eminem's publisher can give back to Detroit," Martin said this morning. "We're looking forward to working with Chrysler on several new Imported From Detroit initiatives that will benefit the city of Detroit as well as charities within the city."
The Free Press is seeking comment from Audi officials.
At issue was an Audi promotional video that appeared to borrow heavily from Chrysler's award-winning Imported From Detroit commercial, a Super Bowl hit that featured Em's "Lose Yourself" as its centerpiece.
"Audi has tremendous respect for Eminem and his works and likewise for the Imported From Detroit campaign which was created by Chrysler," the statement said.
"Certainly Audi would never wish to insult or harm those parties or their fans and customers."
Martin and 8 Mile Style alleged in May that the Audi spot used an unauthorized interpretation of the Detroit rapper's Oscar-winning song. The company filed injunctions in several European courts seeking to quash the video.
8 Mile Style said the video - which had premiered at a Berlin auto show and popped up across the Internet - also copied the look and feel of the Imported From Detroit commercial. Chrysler was not a party to the legal action.
The Audi spot, which did not air on U.S. television, showed a driver cruising through an urban landscape as a "Lose Yourself"-like song played.
"The recognition of the intellectual property rights of third parties is a very important part of Audi's corporate philosophy," reads today's statement.
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