Isaac Hayes Estate Gets Emergency Court Date Over Trump's Unauthorized Music Use
The Isaac Hayes Estate has secured an emergency federal court hearing against Donald Trump regarding unauthorized music usage at campaign events. The hearing is scheduled for September 3 at the Northern District of Georgia Federal Court in Atlanta.
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The lawsuit stems from alleged unauthorized use of Hayes' song "Hold On, I'm Coming" at campaign rallies, with the estate claiming 134 instances of infringement. After Trump failed to meet the August 16 deadline to pay a $3 million licensing fee, the estate filed legal action naming multiple co-defendants, including the NRA, Turning Point USA, and the RNC.
Isaac Hayes III explained that while Trump may have initially been protected by ASCAP or BMI licenses, the estate opted out of these licenses when Trump began using the song at campaign events. Each unauthorized use could result in a $150,000 fine.
In a parallel development, the Trump campaign faces criticism from Foo Fighters for using their song "My Hero" without permission at a recent rally featuring Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s endorsement. The band's representatives stated they would not have granted permission and plan to donate any received royalties to Kamala Harris' campaign.
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The case highlights ongoing tensions between political campaigns and musicians over unauthorized music usage at campaign events, with potential implications for how licensing agreements are handled in political contexts.
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