Neil Young Sues Trump PAC for $10 Million Over Unauthorized Song Use
Neil Young is suing Donald Trump's political action committee for $10 million over the unauthorized use of his song Rockin' in the Free World at campaign rallies, citing reputational damage.
Legendary rock musician Neil Young has filed a lawsuit seeking $10 million in damages from Donald Trump’s political action committee, the Trump 47 Committee Inc., alleging unauthorized use of his iconic song 'Rockin’ in the Free World' at campaign rallies.
According to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Young’s legal team argues that the repeated use of the anthem damages the artist's reputation and creates a false impression of political endorsement. The lawsuit highlights a specific rally in Ohio, where the track was blasted as a walk-on song for Donald Trump, alongside numerous other campaign events leading up to the midterms.
This marks the second legal battle between the musician and Trump’s campaign organizations. In 2020, Young sued the Donald J. Trump for President Inc. corporation, a dispute that concluded with a settlement including a binding commitment never to use the song again without explicit licensing and permission.
Legal arguments in the new complaint contrast the gritty 1989 protest song with the political platform of Donald Trump. Described as a searing critique of hollow political rhetoric contrasted against the plight of the marginalized, the track directly opposes the values projected by the administration. Young, an outspoken critic of Donald Trump, recently released the protest anthem 'Big Crime', further cementing his opposition to the White House.
Over the past year, the Trump administration has increasingly utilized tracks by left-leaning artists in promotional materials, drawing pushback from figures such as Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, SZA, and Taylor Swift, who recently forced the removal of her song 'August' from a pro-Trump administration video.
