Neil Young sues Trump committee over rally song usage

Neil Young filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday seeking $10 million in damages against the Trump 47 Committee. The Canadian-American musician claims the organization infringed on his copyright by playing his 1989 song Rockin' in the Free World without a license.

The legal action centers on an event in Youngstown, Ohio, on October 12. According to the five-page filing, the committee played the track before President Donald Trump took the stage. Young argues this constituted an unauthorized public performance, a violation because he did not grant permission to Silver Fiddle Music, his publishing company.

The lawsuit asserts that Trump knew a license was required. The document states that the president was personally aware of the licensing requirement and that Young has never granted, nor would he grant, the necessary rights. The filing notes the song has been performed at multiple other rallies.

This is not the first time the two have clashed over this material. In 2020, Young sued Trump's re-election campaign for using Rockin' in the Free World and another track, Devil's Sidewalk. The parties settled that dispute shortly after service. Young claims the settlement included a promise that the campaign would not use the music without permission again.

Under US law, political rallies generally require a public performance license to play music for an audience. Even if a campaign buys a legal copy of a recording, it must secure permission from the musical-work copyright holders. This can be done directly or through performing rights organizations. Sound recordings themselves do not carry a general public-performance right.

Young, 80, described the song as a blistering anthem that contrasts political rhetoric with the reality faced by the poor and homeless. He stated the song is the opposite of what Donald J Trump stands for. The singer has opposed the president's politics for years and previously thanked Trump for attending his shows in the 1980s and 1990s, though he noted he did not allow the use of his music.

Young posted about the new suit on his website on Tuesday. He wrote, 'I am sorry it came to this, but money and transactions are something you understand.' The White House and the Republican National Committee referred requests for comment to the RNC.