Trump Violates Copyright for Using ‘Electric Avenue’ in Campaign, Ordered to Pay Damages

Trump used a 40-second clip of a song in a video during his 2020 presidential campaign, which got 13.7 million views before Twitter, now called X, took it down.

A federal judge in Manhattan has ruled that Trump violated the copyright of Eddie Grant’s 1983 hit song and now has to pay damages and cover the singer’s legal fees.

Trump’s legal team argued that the video was protected under the “fair use” rule, which allows limited use of copyrighted material in certain cases. However, Judge John G. Koeltl disagreed and rejected that claim on Friday, September 13.

Eddie Grant’s lawyer, Brian D. Caplan, told Business Insider that Grant, as a strong believer in artists’ rights, hopes the decision will help others fight against unauthorized use of their music. He added that “politicians are not above the law, and the court reaffirmed that.”

This isn’t the first time Trump has faced legal issues over using music without permission. Earlier this week, The White Stripes sued him for copyright infringement after their song ‘Seven Nation Army’ was allegedly used in one of his campaign videos without consent.

Isaac Hayes’ estate is also suing Trump for $3 million after finding more than 130 instances where one of his songs was used at campaign rallies without permission. Last week, a judge ordered Trump to stop using Hayes’ song ‘Hold On, I’m Coming.’

Over the past year, artists like ABBA, Beyoncé, Celine Dion, and Johnny Marr have all demanded that Trump stop using their music. Neil Young, The Rolling Stones, Queen, and The Animals have also had similar disputes with him over the unauthorized use of their songs.

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