Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump from Using Isaac Hayes’ Music at Rallies
A federal judge has temporarily prohibited former President Donald Trump from playing music legend Isaac Hayes’ songs at his political rallies. The ruling was issued as a temporary measure until the Hayes family proceeds with their lawsuit, which seeks a permanent ban on Trump's use of the music.
According to court documents, Judge Thrash, ruling from Atlanta, implemented the short-term ban. The ruling does not require Trump to remove any existing online videos that feature Hayes’ music, which had been used as his rally exit music.
The dispute began on August 11 when Hayes’ estate sent a cease-and-desist order to Trump’s team over the unauthorized use of the song. The letter, shared on social media by former CNN contributor Roland Martin, demanded $3 million in compensation, the removal of any campaign media featuring the song, and a public statement clarifying that Hayes’ music was not authorized for use by the campaign.
The estate’s attorneys pointed out that the $3 million demand was a “very discounted fee,” noting that the usual rate is $150,000 per use.
They warned that if the matter went to court, the total could be ten times higher. The estate set an August 16 deadline for Trump’s team to respond, threatening legal action if they did not comply....
— Roland S. Martin (@rolandsmartin) Date
Isaac Hayes III, the son of the late musician, expressed satisfaction with the judge’s decision. “We are very grateful and happy for the decision by Judge Thrash… I couldn’t ask for a better decision. I hope this serves as an opportunity for other artists to step forward if they don’t want their music used by Donald Trump or other political entities,” he said.
In response, the Trump campaign informed The New York Times that the song has been removed from its playlist. Ronald Coleman, Trump’s campaign lawyer, stated, “The campaign had already agreed to cease further use. We’re very gratified that the court recognized the First Amendment issues at stake and didn’t order a takedown of existing videos.”
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