The family of iconic soul singer Isaac Hayes has launched a legal battle against former President Donald Trump‘s campaign, accusing it of copyright infringement for using Hayes’ music without permission during Trump’s rallies.
Filed on Sunday, the lawsuit demands $3 million in damages for the unauthorized use of Hayes’ 1966 hit song “Hold On, I’m Comin’” at 134 rallies from 2022 to the present. The song, originally performed by Sam & Dave, was most recently featured at Trump’s rally in Montana last Friday, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit claims that Hayes’ estate, which holds the rights to the song, repeatedly requested that the Trump campaign cease using the music, yet the campaign continued to play it at various events.
The complaint states, “It has come to our attention that you or the campaign have authorized the illegal public performance of the Song on multiple occasions during various rallies for your political campaign without authorization from the copyright holder, despite being asked repeatedly not to engage in such illegal use by our client.”
In addition to monetary damages, the lawsuit seeks the removal of any videos featuring the song and demands a public apology from the Trump campaign acknowledging the unauthorized use.
This legal action follows a similar incident involving Celine Dion, who recently condemned the use of her song “My Heart Will Go On” at the same Montana rally. Dion criticized the campaign’s use of her music, stating, “In no way is this use authorized and Celine Dion does not endorse this or any similar use … and really, THAT song?”
The case underscores growing scrutiny over the use of copyrighted material in political settings and highlights the ongoing tensions between artists and political campaigns over the unauthorized use of their work.