Trump Ordered to Pay Damages for Unauthorized Use of Eddy Grant's "Electric Avenue"

[Social Media]

 

Former US President Donald Trump has been found liable for using Eddy Grant’s 1983 hit song "Electric Avenue" without permission. After a legal battle spanning more than four years, Trump is now required to pay damages to the London-based singer and songwriter. The dispute arose from Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign, which used a 40-second clip of the song in a campaign video without Grant’s authorization.

 

The video, viewed 13.7 million times before being removed by Twitter (now known as X), became the focal point of the lawsuit. A federal judge in Manhattan ruled that Trump had violated Grant's copyright, making him liable for damages and legal fees. The case began in August 2020, during Trump's reelection campaign when Grant's attorney, Wallace E.J. Collins, sent a cease-and-desist letter to Trump’s campaign team, demanding the video be taken down.

 

On Friday, Judge John G. Koeltl rejected the argument made by Trump’s legal team that the video was protected under the "fair use" doctrine, which allows for limited use of copyrighted material in certain situations. Grant’s attorney, Brian D. Caplan, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision, saying, “As a staunch believer of artist’s rights and the ability to control their creative output, Mr. Grant believes that the decision will help others in their fight against the unauthorized use of sound recordings and musical compositions. Politicians are not above the law and the court reaffirmed that.”

 

The legal fight over "Electric Avenue" is not an isolated case for Trump. Earlier this month, a US judge ordered Trump's campaign to cease using the song "Hold On, I’m Coming" at his rallies, in response to a lawsuit filed by the family of Isaac Hayes, one of the song's co-writers. Several other artists, including ABBA, Foo Fighters, Celine Dion, and Johnny Marr, have also objected to the use of their music at Trump’s events in recent months.

 

"Electric Avenue" was inspired by the 1981 Brixton riots and named after a street in south London that was the first market road in the capital to be lit by electricity. The song became a global hit, reaching number two on the charts in both the UK and the US. Mr. Trump's team has yet to comment on the outcome of the court case.

 

 

Credit: BBC 2024-09-17

 

 

 

[Tug]

Good luck seeing any money…we all know trumps a swindler….and stiffs people he indebted to.

[mogandave]

Well, if they can get it into a Manhattan court it ought to be worth a few billion at least

[placeholder]

3 minutes ago, mogandave said:

Well, if they can get it into a Manhattan court it ought to be worth a few billion at least

Because other courts condone theft?

[kingstonkid]

8 hours ago, Tug said:

Good luck seeing any money…we all know trumps a swindler….and stiffs people he indebted to.

Proof please 

[Rimmer]

A personal attack / meme has been removed

[animalmagic]

Trump to Judge - 'but your honour, I've paid.  I put the cheque in the post and the postman was attacked by a hungry dog who ate the letter, and then the dog was eaten by a Haitian!'

[placeholder]

1 minute ago, kingstonkid said:

Proof please 

Some in South Jersey have a message for Trump: Pay your old Atlantic City casino bills

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/columnists/mike-kelly/2020/01/24/donald-trump-still-owes-money-to-contractors-who-built-taj-mahal-atlantic-city/4547037002/

[Lacessit]

13 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

Proof please 

Trump still owes the City of El Paso over half a million dollars for a 2019 rally.

 

https://kfoxtv.com/news/local/trumps-campaign-still-owes-el-paso-over-500k-for-2019-rally-other-cities-also-unpaid

 

He is notorious for not paying his bills. Why do you think no lawyer will work for him without payment up front? They have the example of Giuliani in front of them.

 

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/bankruptcy-law/giuliani-says-trump-campaign-rnc-owe-him-2-million-in-fees

 

https://m.usw.org/blog/2016/billionaire-trump-fleeces-workers-small-businesses

 

What rock are you living under, that you do not know this?

[john donson]

how much does youtube pay for 17m views?  1700$ ? sold

[zepplin]

1 hour ago, kingstonkid said:

Proof please 

Well that would be most of the people in the 1000’s of court cases !

what else wou you exp of a convicted felon?

[Real Name Hidden]

Trump should be playing "I Fought the Law"

 

 

[Purdey]

Once a cheat, always a cheat.

[metisdead]

Posts using derogatory and toxic nicknames or intentional misspelling of people’s names will be removed. If you don’t want your post to be removed, spell people’s names correctly, this applies to both sides of the political debate.

[CanadaSam]

In my mind, the problem is something totally different.

 

Some intelligent people, business people, successful people, also back this sheister.

 

I simply can not, for the life of me, figure out why???

 

If somebody will explain it to me, I will be really grateful!

[gamb00ler]

16 hours ago, Tug said:

Good luck seeing any money…we all know trumps a swindler….and stiffs people he indebted to.

 

8 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

Proof please 

What???  You can't do your own "research"?

 

Trump "University"

tax fraud conviction in NY state

[Captain Monday]

10 hours ago, mogandave said:

Well, if they can get it into a Manhattan court it ought to be worth a few billion at least

Where was this case brought before a court, was it in in the UK?

[placeholder]

9 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

Where was this case brought before a court, was it in in the UK?

" A federal judge in Manhattan ruled that Trump had violated Grant's copyright, making him liable for damages and legal fees. The case began in August 2020, during Trump's reelection campaign when Grant's attorney, Wallace E.J. Collins, sent a cease-and-desist letter to Trump’s campaign team, demanding the video be taken down."

[Stargeezr]

Trump belongs in jail, and so does some of his followers, in my opinion.

What a loser.

[gamb00ler]

20 hours ago, CanadaSam said:

In my mind, the problem is something totally different.

 

Some intelligent people, business people, successful people, also back this sheister.

 

I simply can not, for the life of me, figure out why???

 

If somebody will explain it to me, I will be really grateful!

This is just my guess why Trump garners more support from the single, less educated and less financially stable men:

 

Many of these men feel very constrained by the boundaries set by polite society.  Trump's unconstrained antics make him their idol/hero.

 

The less educated men and those struggling financially feel powerless/ignored.  Trump's lifestyle, fame and fortune represents their desires fulfilled.

 

As for the evangelical support:  they're just weird.

 

[n00dle]

FFS sake you'd think the trump campaign would learn not to use unauthorized music?

[Lacessit]

44 minutes ago, n00dle said:

FFS sake you'd think the trump campaign would learn not to use unauthorized music?

Trump has always operated on the principle (sic ) " So sue me, I've got more money and lawyers than you do". Unfortunately, most of the time it works.

[Lacessit]

51 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

 

As for the evangelical support:  they're just weird.

 

Evangelism is not a religion. it's a business. It sucks in donations from gullible people, just like Trump does.

[Real Name Hidden]

Trump has authorization to use this song, proceeds donated to Clark County SPCA in Springfield, Ohio.

 

 

 

[Skeptic7]

 

On 9/18/2024 at 3:16 PM, n00dle said:

FFS sake you'd think the trump campaign would learn not to use unauthorized music?

Learn❓Trump and Stooge Team❓

[Skeptic7]

Imbecilic loser steals, rips off, swindles and grifts anything & everything. His time is nigh.

 

Trump 20-24 Years Behind Bars