A legal battle is brewing over the Trump campaign's use of the soul song 'Hold On, I'm Comin',' co-written by the late Isaac Hayes, which is set to be heard in federal court on Tuesday.
The estate of Isaac Hayes is seeking an emergency injunction to halt former President Donald Trump from playing the song at campaign events, citing lack of approval from the estate. Hayes, who passed away in 2008 at the age of 65, co-wrote the song with David Porter in 1966. The song was famously performed by the duo Sam & Dave, consisting of Sam Moore and the late Dave Prater.
Court documents reveal that the estate's attorneys allege that the Trump campaign has not secured a valid public performance license for the song and are seeking compensatory damages for its unauthorized use.
In response to the lawsuit, representatives for the Republican National Committee and the Trump campaign argue that the Hayes estate may not be the rightful license holder for the song. Isaac Hayes III, son of the late musician, shared a letter dated June 5 from BMI, a music licensing organization, asserting that neither Trump nor his campaign possesses a valid license to use the song.
This legal dispute marks the first instance of a lawsuit being filed over allegations of Trump and his campaign using unlicensed music. Other artists have also raised concerns about unauthorized use of their music by the campaign.
