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Following a recent ruling by a federal judge, Isaac Hayes’ estate is moving forward with its copyright infringement lawsuit against former President Donald Trump. In a new written ruling, the judge dismissed certain claims while confirming the assertion that Trump “personally selected” the song “Hold On, I’m Coming” for his rallies.
Trump’s defense contended in a motion filed earlier this year that the Hayes estate had not provided sufficient evidence to implicate him directly. However, U.S. District Judge Thomas Thrash disagreed in his decision released on Friday, as reported by Rolling Stone.
Judge Thrash noted, “The plaintiffs allege that defendant Trump ‘personally selected’ the work, performed it at least 133 times, and recorded and disseminated those rally events across various media platforms.” He further remarked that Trump had not justified how these allegations did not point to an infringement of the estate’s exclusive rights, thus allowing the claims to proceed.
While affirming the main copyright infringement claims against Trump, Judge Thrash did dismiss other elements of the lawsuit, marking a partial win for Trump. Notably, claims regarding “false endorsement” and “right of publicity” were rejected on the grounds that there were no assertions of Hayes’ name or likeness being used in conjunction with the song’s performances.
The legal action was initiated by Hayes’ estate last year, alleging that Trump’s campaign utilized “Hold On” during rallies and in promotional videos without permission from Hayes’ heirs. Isaac Hayes III, the musician’s son, expressed the family’s frustration over the situation in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Donald Trump embodies the worst of integrity and class, demonstrating disrespect and a history of racial insensitivity,” he stated. “We will address this matter promptly.”
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Hayes, who passed away in 2008, co-wrote the iconic track originally recorded by the duo Sam & Dave under Stax Records.
In this latest ruling, Judge Thrash also dismissed one of the co-defendants, Turning Point Action, Inc., a far-right Christian nationalist organization, on jurisdictional grounds. Previously, the Hayes estate had also withdrawn claims against the Republican National Committee, the National Rifle Association, and the American Conservative Union.
Source
www.rollingstone.com