The White Stripes have filed a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump, alleging that he used their hit song "Seven Nation Army" without permission in a campaign video posted to social media.
Former bandmates Jack and Meg White claim that Trump's use of their song in a social media post infringes on the two copyrights they hold — one for the song’s composition (lyrics and music) and one for the sound recording. They also argue that they oppose Trump’s policies, making the use of their song even more offensive.
Jessica Litman, a law professor at the University of Michigan and an expert in copyright law, and who is not a part of the case, explains that Jack White "does not want his song to help the Trump campaign or to assist Donald Trump’s re-election as president because he opposes Donald Trump's presidential campaign."
The legal dispute dates back to 2016, when the band initially objected to Trump using their music but did not pursue legal action. This time, White filed a lawsuit after not receiving a response from the Trump campaign when he reached out about the recent video.
Litman notes, "He reached out to the campaign, didn't get any response, and ended up filing suit. He's saying you need permission to use the song. You also need permission to use the recording. You never asked for permission, and that means you've violated my rights under the copyright statute."
The lawsuit also names Margo [MAHR-go] McAtee Martin, who is alleged to have created and posted the video using "Seven Nation Army" on social media.
White's lawsuit seeks statutory damages for the copyright infringement, which Litman says are capped at $150,000.
However, the larger financial implications could stem from attorney fees and a potential claim that Trump’s campaign profited from using the song without permission.
Jack White has posted an Instagram picture of the first page of the complaint filed in the Southern District of New York, captioning it "This machine sues fascists." The post has garnered nearly 100,000 likes.
This lawsuit is part of a broader trend of artists taking action against Trump’s campaign for using their songs without consent.
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