Musician Jack White disclosed plans to sue former President Donald Trump after a Trump campaign member shared a video of The White Stripes’ hit song “Seven Nation Army.”
White expressed his anger on Instagram, calling Trump and his campaign team “fascists” and warning of a lawsuit. “Don’t even think about using my music,” White wrote. “Lawsuit coming from my lawyers to add to your 5 thousand others.”
White’s legal threat follows a series of similar actions by other well-known musicians. Beyoncé recently demanded that a Trump official remove a video including her song “Freedom.” After she threatened legal action, the video was promptly removed.
Meanwhile, acts such as the Foo Fighters and ABBA are requesting that Trump cease using their music at his campaign rallies. Despite broad ASCAP and BMI licenses that normally cover such uses, artists can opt out of them and inform candidates that their music is being used without permission.
In such cases, the campaign might face a $150,000 penalty for each unlawful use. Currently, the estate of soul artist Isaac Hayes is suing Trump for $3 million for the improper use of his song.
White’s newest dispute is only one of many controversies surrounding Trump’s campaign. Taylor Swift is also considering legal action after Trump’s Truth Social account tweeted a series of AI-generated pictures that misrepresented her support for him. These cases raise concerns about the Trump campaign’s position on intellectual property rights and digital ethics.
White did more than just condemn Trump’s improper usage of his song. In his Instagram post, he also criticized the former president for an event that occurred during Trump’s recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery.
According to White, members of Trump’s campaign staff clashed with a cemetery staffer who was enforcing a federal regulation against partisan activity, which includes limiting photography. White condemned Trump for what he described as “insulting our nation’s veterans” and suggested that Trump should lose the support of military families
The legal rights of musicians in cases like these hinge on how their music is used in political contexts. While licenses from ASCAP and BMI allow political campaigns to use music, they do not override an artist’s right to object. When an artist chooses to opt out of these licenses, they can legally demand that their music not be used.
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