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Donald Trump has been ordered by a decide to cease taking part in the tune “Maintain On, I’m Coming” at marketing campaign rallies, after the household of singer-songwriter Isaac Hayes claimed its use had not been approved.
The ruling was made by Choose Thomas Thrash Jr in federal court docket in Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday. “I do order Trump and his marketing campaign to not use the tune with out correct license,” he mentioned, in an order obtained by CNN.
Nevertheless, Thrash denied a movement by the Hayes property to drive the Trump marketing campaign to take down any beforehand recorded makes use of of the tune. The lawsuit alleged that the tune was used with out permission at rallies and in marketing campaign movies a number of occasions beforehand.
Ronald Coleman, an legal professional for Trump, advised members of the media after the listening to that the marketing campaign had “little interest in annoying or hurting anybody.” “If the Hayes household feels it hurts or annoys them, that’s high quality, we’re not going to drive the difficulty,” he mentioned, per CNN.
Hayes’s son, Isaac Hayes III, mentioned that the property was “very grateful and comfortable” for the choice. “I would like this to function a possibility for different artists to come back ahead that don’t need their music utilized by Donald Trump or different political entities,” he advised reporters.
On Monday, Hayes III additionally shared a letter dated June 5, 2024, reportedly from BMI, a corporation that collects license charges from companies for using music.
“Donald Trump for President has been claiming they’d a legitimate BMI license to play ‘Maintain On, I’m Coming” for weeks. FALSE,” his submit learn. “Donald Trump for President has not had legitimate license for almost 100 days, and @realDonaldTrump has NEVER had a license. To not point out the quite a few makes use of earlier than Nov. thirtieth, 2022.”
The Hayes property introduced the lawsuit towards the previous president final month, in search of what may very well be hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in charges. It additionally named the Republican Nationwide Committee and conservative activist group Turning Level USA.
Attorneys for the Hayes household argued that Trump owes the property $150,000 for every alleged unauthorized use of the tune, which the Trump marketing campaign has allegedly used over 100 occasions.
Along with the licensing charges, it sought a disclaimer that the property has not “approved, endorsed, or permitted use of the Isaac Hayes Enterprises’ property at any level, now or in perpetuity all through the universe.”
Hayes died on August 10, 2008. He co-wrote the tune in query with David Porter, and it was first carried out in 1966 by the duo Sam & Dave. The Hayes property argues that it regained the copyright to “Maintain On, I’m Coming” in 2022, and that the Trump marketing campaign has continued to make use of the tune with out permission.
The household despatched Trump and his marketing campaign a discover of copyright infringement on August 11, based on a submit on X by Hayes’s son, Isaac Hayes III, and sought $3 million in licensing charges.
The Hayes property is the primary to finish up in court docket over complaints of Trump and his marketing campaign allegedly utilizing music they’d not correctly licensed, although artists together with Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters and the property of Prince have additionally complained.
