The household of Isaac Hayes is suing Donald Trump for $3 million for copyright infringement and unauthorized use over 100 instances of the tune Maintain On I’m Coming.
Isaac Hayes III posted on X:
We the household of @isaachayes Isaac Hayes Enterprises, represented by Walker & Associates, are suing @realDonaldTrump and his marketing campaign for 134 counts copyright infringement for the unauthorized use of the tune “Maintain On I’m Coming” at marketing campaign rallies from 2022-2024.
We demand the cessation of use, removing of all associated movies, a public disclaimer, and cost of $3 million in licensing charges by August 16, 2024. Failure to conform will end in additional authorized motion.
– The Hayes Household
The unauthorized use of the tune wasn’t a one time solely accident. The Hayes household has apparently documented that the tune was performed at nearly all of Trump’s occasions over the previous three years.
Usually, if an artist or copyright holder finds an occasion occasion of unauthorized use, they’ll ship a stop and desist letter to the candidate, the marketing campaign will apologize, and cease utilizing the music. If the marketing campaign desires to proceed to make use of the music, they’ll pay the licensing payment. The copyright holder does have the suitable to show down an software to be used.
Rejections are quite common in politics if an artist doesn’t really feel snug with their music getting used at political occasions, or if the artist doesn’t need their worst related to a particular political determine.
The letter states that the Trump marketing campaign continued to violate the copyright even after they had been notified of the violation.
Trump will now owe the Hayes household thousands and thousands of {dollars}, all as a result of he is not going to cease stealing music to make use of at his rallies.