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Message: [QUOTE="Shamiso, post: 94053, member: 160"] Neil Young wants $10 million from the Trump 47 Committee over its use of Rockin' in the Free World at a campaign event in Youngstown, Ohio. The musician claims the group played his 1989 hit without a license as Donald Trump was about to speak. His legal team took the case to federal court in eastern Virginia. The five-page complaint targets the fundraising group rather than Trump as an individual. Five more people are listed as unknown defendants, with their names set to follow once Young learns who they are. At issue is more than one event. Young alleges that the same track played at other political gatherings meant to boost Republican votes. He says the organizers had no right to use his music at any of those rallies. The committee began as a joint fundraising setup for Trump and the Republican National Committee during the 2024 campaign. Federal Election Commission records later named Save America PAC and the RNC among 53 groups tied to the effort, many of them state-level Republican organizations. And there is some history here. Young filed a similar case against Trump's former campaign group back in 2020. That dispute involved the tracks Rockin' in the Free World and Devil's Sidewalk, with a Tulsa rally among the events cited. According to the new complaint, the old campaign agreed to settle soon after it got the court papers. Young claims it also promised not to use the track again without consent. Public records from that earlier dispute show the case closed with prejudice, meaning those claims could not return to court. The full deal was never made public, and neither side confirmed a settlement at the time. Young also argues that the committee knew it needed approval. His filing claims Trump was aware of that rule and knew the musician would refuse permission. Those claims remain allegations rather than findings by a judge. The $10 million demand is quite a jump from the normal legal limit for one song. Under US copyright law, statutory damages for a willful violation can reach $150,000 per work, not for each playback. That means a larger award would need a different basis, such as proven losses or profits linked to the alleged violation. The complaint does not explain how Young's lawyers reached their requested sum. Money is not his only goal. He wants the court to stop the group from playing any of his compositions at public events, both while the lawsuit runs and under a lasting ban. Legal fees and court expenses are part of his request as well. The musician claims the use of his track hurts his public image by making it seem that he backs Trump. He rejects that link and argues that the song's message goes against Trump's political views. Young's complaint points to the lyrics as part of that dispute. He sees the track as a critique of political claims about freedom, with a focus on poverty, hardship, and people left behind. Its place in rock music is still a factor in his argument. The filing cites recent renditions by Bruce Springsteen, Roger Daltrey, Lucinda Williams, Dave Grohl, Dave Matthews, and Billy Strings. It also notes a Vintage Rock Song of 2026 honor. The objections go back even further. Young protested when Trump used the music for his first presidential launch in 2015. His team said no consent had been given and made clear that Young backed Bernie Sanders instead. Born in Canada, the singer gained American citizenship in 2020. His fight over campaign music has continued through both countries' political and music scenes. Other artists have raised similar issues. ABBA and the White Stripes have objected to Trump campaign use of their songs. The estate of Isaac Hayes also brought a case over Hold On, I'm Coming, alleging at least 133 plays across several years. That Hayes dispute ended in a private settlement. A judge had found that BMI told the campaign the rights holders objected, removing that track from its general music license. One legal detail matters here. Young's new claim deals with the songwriting copyright, not any specific studio recording. He is listed as a writer and part-owner of the composition. His catalog has a major business history of its own. Hipgnosis Songs Fund bought half of the rights in 1,180 Young compositions in 2021, in a deal valued by industry observers at roughly $150 million. Blackstone later took Hipgnosis private and brought its music assets together under Recognition Music Group. Sony Music Publishing then acquired that rights portfolio with backing from its venture with Singapore's GIC. The court has yet to rule on Young's new claims, and the committee's response will be part of what comes next. [/QUOTE]

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