Despite the outrage and threats of lawsuits from numerous artists, former President Donald Trump is continuing to play copyrighted music on his campaign trail.
It’s not uncommon for the former president to do a little dance to a popular song while at one of his rallies, but now artists are getting upset over his use of their music.
The most recent artist to speak out against Trump using their music is the estate of Issac Hayes, who helped write the song “Hold On, I’m Comin” by Sam & Dave.
Over the weekend, Issac Hayes III, the son of the late songwriter, took to social media to discuss Trump’s use of the song, alleging that he was infringing on the copyright of the song.
“Donald Trump epitomizes a lack of integrity and class, not only through his continuous use of my father’s music without permission but also through his history of sexual abuse against women and his racist rhetoric,” Hayes III first wrote on Instagram. “This behavior will no longer be tolerated, and we will take swift action to put an end to it.”
In a copyright infringement notice posted on Instagram, filed by attorney James Walker, and issued to Trump, Hayes’s estate is demanding Trump’s campaign pay $3 million in licensing fees for his use of the song.
Hayes no joins the ever-growing list of musicians to criticize Trump for the use of their music, including Celine Dion and her song “My Heart Will Go On,” Sinéad O’Connor’s song “Nothing Compares 2 U,” Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down,” Aero Smith’s “Livin’ on the Edge,” Prince’s “Purple Rain,” Phil Collins’s “In the Air Tonight,” and more.
For Trump to have used the songs legally, he would need to follow three different paths laid out by the US Copyright Office.
These include the music already being considered public domain, getting permission from the copyright holder directly, or licensing the work through a contract.
The US Copyright Office says that if Trump or anyone does not obtain the rights to use a song, the holder of the copyright has the “right to pursue legal action.”