Rock musician Neil Young files $10 million lawsuit over song at Trump rally — Rolling Stone

In the United States, rock musician Neil Young has filed a $10 million lawsuit against the Trump 47 committee over the use of the song Rockin’ in the Free World at a Donald Trump rally in Youngstown, Ohio. As Rolling Stone reports, the lawsuit was filed in federal court in Virginia, where the committee is based.

Use of the song at the rally

According to the publication, the song was played on October 12 during an event in Youngstown at which Trump spoke. In the five-page complaint, Young claims that Trump personally knew that a license was required to use the work and that the musician would not have granted such permission.

Trump himself is not named as a defendant in the new case. The lawsuit also states that the use of the song allegedly occurred in violation of a 2020 agreement reached after an earlier legal dispute. According to Young, Trump then agreed not to use his music without permission.

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Young’s previous objections

In the lawsuit, Young and his lawyers Robert Besser and Scott Simmons described the 1989 song as a work that contrasts U.S. political promises with the realities of life for poor, homeless and forgotten people. They also stated that, in their view, the song is the opposite of Donald Trump’s views.

Young’s disputes with Trump over the song have continued since 2015, when it was used during the announcement of the presidential campaign at Trump Tower. At the time, the musician said he had not given permission for such use. In 2018, Young also publicly called for his song to stop being played at political events.

Rolling Stone notes that the White House, the Trump 47 committee and the Republican National Committee did not provide an immediate response to a request for comment.