Update: Eminem Not Involved In Unpaid Royalties Suit Against Universal Says Label

After it was reported yesterday that Eminem had sued his label over unpaid digital downloads, Universal Music Group (UMG) has issued a statement to XXLmag.com to clarify the rapper’s involvement in the case.

UMG’s executive vice president Peter LoFrumento explained that it was Em’s former production team, Mark and Jeff Bass of F.B.T. Productions, who filed the lawsuit and that the Detroit MC has nothing to do with the case. “Eminem is not a party to this suit, and in fact, we enjoy a very close, creative and productive relationship with him,” he said.

Naming Aftermath, Interscope and parent company UMG in the suit, the Bass brothers are looking to collect $1.3 mil in unpaid royalties from sales the label gets from third party distributors, like Apple’s iTunes and Nextel and Sprint for ringtones.

While F.B.T. Productions filed in 2007, TheWrap reports that the case finally went to trial yesterday (Feb. 24) in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Em will not be taking the stand but Interscope founder Jimmy Iovine and Apple CEO Steve Jobs are expected to testify.

“The claims made by F.B.T. Productions are completely baseless as a matter of fact and meritless as a matter of law, and we look forward to presenting our side in court,” LoFrumento said. – Elan Mancini