By Islam El-Sakka
Neil Young has filed a $10 million lawsuit against the Trump 47 Committee, a fundraising group supporting President Donald Trump, for playing his 1989 song "Rockin' in the Free World" at an October 12 rally in Youngstown, Ohio, without a license.
Copyright infringement alleged
The lawsuit, filed through Young's company Silver Fiddle Music, claims the song was used as an "unauthorized public performance" at a political event. Under U.S. law, music played at campaign rallies typically requires a public performance license from the musical-work copyright holders, even if the campaign owns a legal copy of the recording.
Previous settlement and renewed use
Young sued Trump's re-election campaign in 2020 over the same song and "Devil's Sidewalk," reaching a settlement shortly after. The new complaint states the campaign promised never to use the song again without permission but has played it "numerous times at other rallies" since then.
Artist's opposition
The 80-year-old Grammy winner, who has strongly opposed Trump's politics, describes the song as "a blistering anthem that contrasts the hollow promises of American political rhetoric with the harsh realities faced by the poor, homeless and forgotten." Young wrote on his website that the song is "the opposite of everything that Donald J Trump stands for."
Other artists object
The Rolling Stones, Rihanna, Adele, REM, and the estate of Prince have previously criticized the president for using their music at campaign events without authorization.
