The household of Isaac Hayes is threatening to sue Donald Trump‘s marketing campaign over what they are saying is the unauthorized use of the tune Hold On, I’m Coming at rallies.
The household posted a authorized letter from an legal professional to the marketing campaign, demanding that it cease utilizing the work, which Hayes co-wrote with David Porter and was initially recorded by Sam & Dave in 1966.
The household’s legal professional, James Walker, claims that the Trump marketing campaign and the Republican Nationwide Committee “have willfully and overtly engaged in copyright infringement” by utilizing the tune at rallies “over 100 occasions.” They’re demanding fee of not less than $3 million, plus a removing of all movies that includes the tune and a press release that Hayes’ household and property by no means approved its use. Walker wrote that the Trump marketing campaign additionally “haven’t obtained a license or different authorization” to make use of the tune.
The authorized demand units a deadline of Aug. 16, which is Friday.
The tune was most just lately performed at a Trump rally in Montana on Friday night. The marketing campaign additionally acquired pushback from Celine Dion’s administration crew and her label, Sony Music Leisure Canada, over using My Coronary heart Will Go On on the identical occasion. The usage of that tune, popularized within the film Titanic, was not approved, Dion’s crew mentioned.
The reps wrote, “Under no circumstances is that this use approved and Celine Dion doesn’t endorse this or another comparable use…And actually, that tune?” Porter additionally has mentioned that he didn’t authorize using the tune, based on The Guardian. Hayes died in 2008.
A Trump marketing campaign spokesperson has not returned a request for touch upon the Hayes or the Dion statements.
Hayes’ son, Isaac Hayes III, mentioned in a put up on X, mentioned that the household has demanded that the marketing campaign cease enjoying the tune for the previous two years “and so they simply preserve doing it.”
