Why does the Trump campaign continue to use music without permission? Oh hum. Whelp, the family of legendary soul musician Isaac Hayes is now threatening legal action against former President Donald Trump over the unauthorized use of the song “Hold On, I’m Comin’” at his campaign rallies. As they should.
Who is Isaac Hayes III, if we have to explain. He’s the son of the late musician, shared a copyright infringement notice issued by attorney James Walker, demanding that Trump’s campaign pay $3 million in licensing fees.
Hayes record isn’t the first. The list of artists objecting to Trump’s ridiculous use of their music at rallies continues to grow. The Hayes family joins other notable artists, including the estates of Sinéad O’Connor, Prince, and Tom Petty, as well as The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr and Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco, in demanding that the former president cease using their work. That’s a serious list of real talent and their estates who are tired of Trump’s shenanigans.
Get this, the Isaac Hayes song, originally performed by the soul duo Sam & Dave and co-written by Hayes and David Porter, has been played at multiple rallies without permission.
Sadly the legend, Hayes, passed away on August 10, 2008, and is remembered for his influential contributions to music, but his son is determined to protect his legacy. Here’s what he said:
”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 stated in an Instagram post on Saturday. He added, “This behavior will no longer be tolerated, and we will take swift action to put an end to it.”
As expected, the Hayes family is contemplating a lawsuit citing 134 instances of copyright infringement due to the “unauthorized use of the song” at Trump’s rallies over the past two years. The notice demands that the campaign immediately cease using “Hold On, I’m Comin’,” remove all videos featuring the track, and issue a public disclaimer by Friday. Failure to comply will result in “further legal action,” according to another Instagram post from Hayes III on Sunday.
The family’s attorney is not playing. They attorney accuses Trump of “willfully and brazenly” violating copyright law, continuing to use the song despite repeated requests to stop. The lawyer argues that the $3 million licensing fee is “heavily discounted” given the frequency of its use. Should the matter escalate to a lawsuit, the family intends to seek $150,000 in damages for each instance the song was used.
The post Isaac Hayes’ Family Demands Trump Campaign Cease Use of ‘Hold On, I’m Comin’ At Rallies And Pay $3 Million in Fees first appeared on The Source.
The post Isaac Hayes’ Family Demands Trump Campaign Cease Use of ‘Hold On, I’m Comin’ At Rallies And Pay $3 Million in Fees appeared first on The Source.