A JUDGE and nine lawyers in a New Zealand courtroom listened politely to Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” as a copyright trial involving the country’s ruling political party began yesterday.

The Detroit-based music publishers for Eminem are suing New Zealand’s conservative National Party, alleging the soundtrack for a 2014 election campaign ad copied the rapper’s acclaimed 2002 song. Titled “Eminem Esque,” the track has the familiar urgent, pulsing beat of the original.

The party has previously said it purchased the track through an Australian-based supplier and doesn’t believe it has infringed anyone’s copyright.

In 2014, when the case was filed, lawmaker Steven Joyce said he thought the use of the song was “pretty legal,” and that Eminem’s team “are just having a crack and a bit of an eye for the main chance because it’s an election campaign.” That response was widely ridiculed, including by comedian John Oliver on his show “Last Week Tonight.”

“Pretty legal? That’s not a concept that exists. That’s like being sort-of dead,” Oliver joked on the show.

Spokespeople for both Joyce and the National Party said yesterday they wouldn’t be commenting while the case was before the court.

Judge Helen Cull ruled that some details in the case would remain confidential because they were commercially sensitive. The judge-only case is expected to last about six days and will determine whether copyright was breached. The amount of any damages would be decided later.(SD-Agencies)