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Son of late R&B singer suing Trump over ‘un-permitted’ use of song at campaign rallies

This Week in Black History, August 19: Isaac Hayes This Week in Black History, August 19: Isaac Hayes

ATLANTA — The son of late R&B legend and Grammy award-winning recording artist Isaac Hayes is suing former President Donald Trump for what he says was the un-permitted use of one of his father’s songs at several campaign rallies.

The hearing is set for Tuesday inside the federal courthouse in Atlanta.

The song “Hold On, I’m Coming” was originally recorded and released in 1966 by soul and R&B duo Sam & Dave.

The song was co-written by Hayes.

A judge granted the estate of Hayes an emergency injunction hearing in its lawsuit against Trump and his associates.

On Monday, Isaac Hayes III said that the Trump campaign did not have permission to use the song.

“I know he would not want his music associated with that,” Hayes III said.

In August, attorneys representing the Hayes estate sent Trump’s campaign a notice of copyright infringement.

The estate said the Trump campaign used the song more than 100 times over the past two years at rallies without paying to license the song.

The Hayes estate is now demanding millions in licensing fees.

“The copyright act is very clear, $150,000 per infringement,” attorney James L. Walker Jr. said.

A representative said the campaign has a licensing agreement with BMI, an organization that represents the rights of musicians, that allows the use of music at their events.

But attorneys for the Hayes estate refute that.

Walker Jr. read from a new letter from BMI, saying, “Hold On, I’m Coming is excluded from the blanket license effective immediately.”

The hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.

Attorneys for musical artists like Beyonce, Foo Fighters, and Celine Dion have requested the Trump campaign to stop playing their songs at rallies or in videos.

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