Isaac Hayes III posted on Sunday that Donald Trump and his campaign have been served in their federal lawsuit alleging 134 instances of copyright infringement.
Hayes III posted:
Donald Trump @realdonaldtrump & Team Trump has been served with our lawsuit and notice of the September 3, 2024 emergency hearing.
Represented by @jameslwalkeresq we will see Donald Trump, the @gop @nra and several others who have used Isaac Hayes copyright illegally over 134… pic.twitter.com/XezhwUgGg0
— Isaac Hayes III (@IsaacHayes3) August 25, 2024
The civil lawsuit alleges that Trump and his campaign used the Isaac Hayes co-written classic as many as 134 times without permission or paying a licensing fee since 2022.
According to Isaac Hayes III, the estate tried to settle this matter numerous times, but they were ignored by Trump and his campaign when they reached out. After the ex-president was notified that he was stealing intellectual property, he continued to do so.
The behavior from Trump should sound familiar because to was repeated in other civil and criminal cases where Trump is the defendant.
Intellectual property rights are the sole source of income for the estates of deceased artists. Just because an artist has passed on does not mean that their life’s work becomes fair game for anyone to pillage for their own purposes.
Just like anyone else, political campaigns are not allowed to use music for their own gain without permission or buying a license. Since Trump has continued to violate the copyright of the Hayes estate, an emergency federal hearing was granted on September 3.
By choosing to disrespect the rights and work of others, Donald Trump is now forced to show up in federal civil court as the defendant in a case that could cost him millions of dollars.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
