The estate of legendary soul artist Isaac Hayes is making waves by suing former President Donald Trump for unauthorized use of the classic song “Hold On I’m Coming” at his rallies. The lawsuit, filed by Isaac Hayes’ son and the estate, seeks $3 million in backpay for royalties, claiming that Trump repeatedly used the song without their permission, despite multiple requests to stop.
Trump supporters are reportedly furious over the lawsuit, with many taking to social media to express their anger and confusion. But the Hayes family isn’t backing down, and Isaac Hayes’ son recently took to Twitter to educate the public on how royalties and copyright ownership work, especially in this case.
In the video, Hayes’ son explained, “Quick moment of education for those of you online saying that certain publishers or labels own the rights to ‘Hold On I’m Coming,’ the song that Donald Trump keeps using. I’ll show you something. The copyright to ‘Hold On I’m Coming’ expired March 15th, 2022. It returned to our family on that date. So what typically happens is estates sell their publishing or the entire estate to an entity for large sums of money. My family chose not to do so, so we are the ones that own the copyright to ‘Hold On I’m Coming.’ Think about that.”
He continued, highlighting the unique position the family holds, “Typically in these situations it goes a little differently because there are publishing companies involved, and everybody wants to remain neutral, but I don’t have to act like that. I don’t have to follow those rules.”
The Hayes estate’s decision to retain ownership of “Hold On I’m Coming” rather than selling it off means they have full control over how the song is used—and who profits from it.
For Trump supporters, this lawsuit has sparked anger, with many arguing that the song should be available for public use or that the estate is unfairly targeting the former president.
The hatred from people like this comes with standing up for your rights as a copyright owner. pic.twitter.com/A1f1uT2mJL
— Isaac Hayes III (@IsaacHayes3) August 12, 2024
However, the Hayes estate is firm in their stance, emphasizing that permission is required to use their music, regardless of the event or individual.
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