Daniel Wolfram
According to the musician, Trump’s use of his music during rallies has immensely hurt his reputation and brand and has devalued his musical catalog.
Neil Young has had enough of Donald Trump illegally using his music during his campaign rallies.
While Trump and his administration promised that they would not use the legendary Canadian singer-songwriter’s music during the president’s rallies, Young claims they broke their promise.
So on Monday, the 80-year-old rock legend filed a $10 million copyright infringement lawsuit against Donald Trump’s campaign committee, according to Deadline.
After the Gold Rush
The legal filing in a Virginia federal court claims Trump’s team played the 1989 hit “Rockin’ in the Free World” without permission during an October 12 rally in Youngstown, Ohio. The song was used as a walkout song as Trump took the stage.
Attorneys Scott Simmons and Robert Besser stated in the complaint that the track was also used at other events to rally Republican voters ahead of the midterms. They noted that Trump was personally aware that public rallies required explicit permission.
The lawyers claim this because, back in 2015, Young voiced his displeasure and raised concerns when Trump first used his song during his original campaign launch. A similar legal battle erupted in 2020, but that case was quickly settled after Trump’s team promised never to play the anthem again without a license.
Rockin’ in the Free World
However, the music returned, and the promise was broken. It is safe to say that the two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame musician is not a fan of Trump, and hearing his music being blasted at the rallies crossed a clear moral boundary.
The legal team wrote: “In short, the Song is the opposite of everything that Donald J. Trump stands for.” In their complaint, they argued that the anthem was written to spotlight the harsh realities of poverty, homelessness, and broken promises rather than to serve as political hype.
Neil Young claims the unauthorized use of his music has hurt his reputation and musical brand. As the filing noted, “Young has suffered damage to his reputation and brand as a result of the implication that he supports Donald J. Trump in any way.”
Deadline reported that the White House did not respond to requests for comment on the upcoming lawsuit.
