Top line
The White Stripes have sued former President Donald Trump, claiming their song “Seven Nation Army” was used in a campaign video without their permission, joining a number of other artists who have told the former president to stop playing their hits.
Other artists have called on Trump’s campaign to stop using their music, including ABBA and the Foo … (+)
Key data
White Stripes members Jack White and Meg White, who filed the lawsuit on Monday, accused Trump of copyright infringement by using “Seven Nation Army” to “burnish” his public image and generate financial support for his presidential campaign.
The song was used in a video Trump posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) on August 29. It included footage of Trump boarding a plane en route to his campaign appearances in Michigan and Wisconsin, the band claims; however, the video appears to have been deleted.
The two band members opposed Trump’s use of the song because they are “vehemently opposed” to the policies Trump pursued during his presidency, as well as “those he has proposed for his sought second term,” the lawsuit says.
The Trump team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Who else told Trump not to use his music?
ABBA’s record label, Universal Music, told Reuters last month that the Trump campaign had not been given permission or a license to use several ABBA songs at a July 27 rally, including “The Winner Takes All” and “Money, Money, Money.” The Trump campaign denied it did not have the rights, telling Forbes it had obtained a license to play ABBA music as part of an agreement with BMI and ASCAP, two music licensing groups. In early August, the Foo Fighters said on social media that they had not given Trump permission to play “My Hero” – the song he performed at his Phoenix rally welcoming Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Céline Dion’s label, Sony Music Entertainment Canada, also issued a statement last month after Trump played a video of Dion singing “My Heart Will Go On” at a rally in Montana. The statement said, “This use is not authorized in any way and Céline Dion does not endorse this or any similar use.” The family of late singer Isaac Hayes said on X that they are suing the Trump campaign “for 134 counts of copyright infringement for the unauthorized use of the song ‘Hold On I’m Coming’ at campaign events from 2022 to 2024.” In early September, a federal judge in Atlanta ruled that the Trump campaign must stop using Hayes’ song but does not have to remove existing campaign or rally videos in which it is heard, ABC News reported. Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, the estate of Sinéad O’Connor, Adele, Queen, Elton John and the Beatles have also spoken out against the use of their music at Trump rallies.
Contra
The Trump campaign has denied claims by at least one other musician that it does not have permission to use his material. Trump spokesman Steven Cheung told The Hill that the campaign has the rights to the song “My Hero” and criticized the Foo Fighters on X, who claimed they do not have the rights.
Important background
Politicians’ use of copyrighted music at campaign rallies is a contentious issue because most events are held in large venues that often have “public performance” licenses, Pitchfork reported after similar issues arose between Trump and musicians in 2016. These licenses are often held by organizations like the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers or Broadcast Music, Inc. and allow campaigns to use millions of songs. But campaigns also typically purchase their own license, according to Pitchfork, to ensure they can use the music where they need it and avoid licensing issues. Even if a campaign has a public performance license, it can still be sued by the artist under “publicity” laws designed to protect a public figure’s image, according to an ASCAP guide to using music in campaigns. Artists can raise arguments under the Lanham Act, which covers “confusion or dilution of a mark” through unauthorized use, or under false advertising principles to sue.
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