Comprehensive Reuters and Fox News and other media reported on the 5th that the famous Canadian rock singer Neil Young filed a lawsuit against the Trump campaign team on Tuesday, accusing the team of playing its songs without permission many times during the campaign campaign and infringing its copyright. At the same time, Neil Young also offered statutory damages of up to $150,000 per infringement.
Neil Young sings at a concert in Washington on November 18, 2015 Image source: Reuters
Allegations of multiple abuses by the Trump campaign
Neil Young, a 74-year-old famous rock singer and songwriter, was born in Canada and has American citizenship. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 1995 and joined the Buffalo Springfield Choir in 1997, he is one of America's favorite rock artists.
On August 4, local time, Neil Young filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Federal Court in Manhattan, accusing the Trump campaign of repeatedly playing the songs "Rock in a Free World" and "The Devil's Walkway" without permission during rallies and campaigns, including the Tulsa rally on June 20.
Neil Young said he has been complaining about Trump's unauthorized use of his songs since 2015. And now the Trump campaign is also "deliberately" ignoring him without permission. He also protested when Trump played his music at the Mount Rushmore event on July 3.
Neil Young ( left ) sued the Trump campaign for using his music without permission Image credit: The Associated Press
A maximum of $150,000 in damages per infringement is proposed
Neil Young filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Manhattan federal court through attorneys Ivan Saperstein and Robert S. Besser. Since Trump's first campaign, Young has been very opposed to Trump's use of his music at such events, the lawsuit said. "This complaint is not intended to disrespect the rights and opinions of U.S. citizens, who are free to support the candidates they choose." However, the plaintiffs could not allow their music to be used as a 'theme song' for a movement of division, ignorance and hatred. Yang made a claim in the lawsuit for up to $150,000 in damages per infringement.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to the matter.
Many musicians oppose the unauthorized use of their works by politicians. Last month, many prominent singers, including Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, signed open letters to republicans and Democrats asking them to "ensure that the candidates you support get the consent of singers and songwriters before using music in campaigns and political occasions." ”
In their letter, they wrote: "This is no longer a new problem. Singers and songwriters find their work used to imply support for candidates in every election cycle. It was unlicensed and they were very frustrated. ”
Upstream News Compiled by Jiang Mingjing
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