Photo: Mario Tama / Getty Images News / Getty Images
Neil Young has filed a $10 million lawsuit against President Donald Trump's political action committee, Trump 47 Committee Inc., for copyright infringement. Young alleges that his song "Rockin' in the Free World" was used without permission as Trump's walk-up music at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, on October 12, among other events. According to the lawsuit, the song is "the opposite of everything that Donald J. Trump stands for," and Young claims he never granted a public performance license for its use.
The lawsuit, filed on Monday (October 26), seeks not only financial damages but also a legal injunction to prevent further unauthorized use of the song. Young's attorneys argue that the repeated playing of the song has damaged his reputation by implying support for Trump, as reported by Billboard.
This is not the first time Young has taken legal action against Trump. In 2020, Young sued Trump's campaign for similar reasons, and the campaign settled quickly, promising not to use the song again without permission. However, Young alleges that Trump's team has continued to use the song without a license, prompting this new lawsuit.
The legal action highlights ongoing tensions between artists and political campaigns over the use of music at rallies. Many artists, including The Rolling Stones, R.E.M., and Elton John, have previously objected to their music being used by Trump without permission.
Young's lawsuit underscores the importance of obtaining proper licenses for public performances of copyrighted music. The case will likely examine whether Trump's campaign had the necessary licenses or if Young had opted out of any blanket licenses that might have covered the use of his song.