Neil Young has initiated a civil action seeking damages of $10 million (about £7.5 million) from Donald J. Trump’s political action committee, Trump 47 Committee Inc.
The complaint accuses the committee of copyright infringement for the ongoing use of Young’s track Rockin’ in the Free World as the president’s walk-up music at midterm election rallies.
This represents Young’s second legal challenge against Trump over the song’s unlicensed appropriation. The first suit, filed in 2020, was resolved through a settlement.
According to the filing, Trump has continued to feature the track despite the terms laid out in that earlier settlement.
The petition describes the 1989 composition as “a blistering anthem that contrasts the hollow promises of American political rhetoric with the harsh realities faced by the poor, homeless and forgotten. In short, the song is the opposite of everything that Donald J. Trump stands for.”
Variety notes that the lawsuit references the performance of the song at the president’s rally in Youngstown, Ohio on October 12, while also noting that the recording has been used “numerous times at other rallies designed to encourage Republican votes in the upcoming mid-term elections”. The filing seeks not only an injunction barring further public performances for political purposes but also the $10 million in damages already incurred.
“Among other things, Young has suffered damage to his reputation and brand as a result of the implication that he supports Donald J. Trump in any way,” the suit contends.
