Sun Sep 15 11:54:17 UTC 2024: ## Former US President Donald Trump Ordered to Pay Damages for Using Eddy Grant’s “Electric Avenue” Without Permission

A federal judge in Manhattan has ruled that former US President Donald Trump is liable for copyright infringement for using Eddy Grant’s iconic song “Electric Avenue” in his 2020 campaign video without permission.

The video, which featured a 40-second clip of the 1983 hit song, was viewed 13.7 million times before Twitter, now known as X, took it down. Judge John G. Koeltl rejected arguments from Trump’s lawyers that the video was shielded under copyright’s fair use doctrine.

Grant, the 76-year-old London singer-songwriter, had filed the lawsuit in 2020 after his counsel issued a cease and desist letter to Trump’s campaign team. His attorney, Brian D. Caplan, stated that the decision “reaffirms that politicians are not above the law” and will help other artists in their fight against unauthorized use of their work.

This is not the first instance of Trump facing legal action for unauthorized use of music in his campaigns. Earlier this month, a US judge ordered the Trump campaign to stop using the song “Hold On, I’m Coming” at rallies following a lawsuit from the family of the song’s co-writer, Isaac Hayes. Numerous other artists, including ABBA, Foo Fighters, Celine Dion, and Johnny Marr, have objected to the use of their music at Trump rallies.

“Electric Avenue,” which takes its name from the south London road in Brixton, was written as a response to the 1981 Brixton riots. It reached number two in the charts in both the UK and the US.

Trump’s team has been contacted for comment on the court decision.

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