Photo Credit: Isaac Hayes by William Henderson darkfiber22 / CC by 2.0
The Isaac Hayes Estate has been granted an emergency hearing in federal court against Donald Trump for the unauthorized use of Hayes’ music.
A federal court has granted an emergency hearing for the Isaac Hayes Estate’s request against Donald Trump for the unauthorized use of Hayes’ song, “Hold On, I’m Coming.” Hayes’ son, Isaac Hayes III, says the Northern District of Georgia Federal Court in Atlanta has scheduled the hearing for September 3.
Earlier this month, Hayes’ estate threatened Trump with a copyright lawsuit for an alleged 134 instances where his campaign used “Hold On, I’m Coming” at rallies without permission. The estate gave Trump until August 16 to pay a $3 million licensing fee, or face further legal action. Following the deadline, the estate filed the lawsuit against Trump, while also naming the NRA, Turning Point USA, and the RNC as co-defendants.
“The Federal Court has granted our request for an Emergency Hearing to secure injunctive relief,” announces Hayes. “Donald Trump, @realdonaldtrump, the RNC, Trump, Trump for President Inc. 2024, Turning Point, and the NRA are required to appear in court September 3 at the Northern U.S. District Federal Court in Atlanta. See you in court.”
Isaac Hayes III also explained on social media that although Trump may have initially been protected by an ASCAP or BMI license, the estate opted out of those licenses when the former president began playing “Hold On, I’m Coming” at campaign rallies. By continuing to play the song, Hayes claims, Trump is liable for a $150,000 fine each time he does so.
Meanwhile, the Trump campaign is in hot water for its use of Foo Fighters’ “My Hero” at a rally on Friday, in which failed presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took the stage to endorse Trump’s candidacy. “Foo Fighters were not asked permission, and if they were, they would not have granted it,” a representative for Foo Fighters told Consequence.
Further, “appropriate actions” are being taken against Trump’s campaign, the spokesperson asserts, with any royalties received from the song’s usage to be donated to Kamala Harris’ campaign. Whether this will come to fruition, with Trump’s campaign broadly covered by ASCAP and BMI licenses, remains to be seen.
