The Rolling Stones are threatening legal action against President Donald Trump’s campaign for using his music in his campaign rallies.
© Kevin Winter / Getty Images North America / Getty Images
INDIO, CA – OCTOBER 14: (LR) Musician Keith Richards, singer Mick Jagger, and musician Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones perform during Desert Trip at Empire Polo Field on October 14, 2016 in Indio, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter / Getty Images)
“Despite Donald Trump’s cease and desist directives in the past, The Rolling Stones are taking additional steps to exclude him from using his songs in any of his future political campaigns,” a spokesman for the band said in a statement Saturday. .
As first reported on Deadline, the Stones’ legal team is working with BMI, the enforcement rights organization, on the matter.
“The IMC notified the Trump campaign on behalf of the Stones that the unauthorized use of their songs would constitute a violation of their license agreement. If Donald Trump ignores the exclusion and persists, he would face a lawsuit for breaking the embargo and playing music. that has not been authorized, “the statement said.
The Stones’ classic hit in 1968 “You can’t always get what you want” has served as the lead song for the Trump campaign during rallies, including in Tulsa, Oklahoma, last week.
The Trump campaign declined to comment.
BMI said in a statement to CNN that the Trump campaign has a “political entity license” that authorizes the public performance of more than 15 million musical works in BMI’s repertoire at campaign events.
“However, there is a provision that allows BMI to exclude musical works from the license if a composer or publisher objects to their use by a campaign,” BMI said. “The IMC received such an objection and sent a letter notifying the Trump campaign that the Rolling Stones’ works have been withdrawn from the campaign license, and notifying the campaign that any future use of these musical compositions will violate their agreement to license with IMC “.
The Stones have struggled with the use of their music by the Trump campaign, albeit without legal threats. In 2016, in the run-up to the presidential election, the Rolling Stones asked him to stop playing his music during campaign events and rallies.
“The Rolling Stones have never given the Trump campaign permission to use their songs and have requested that they stop using them immediately,” British band publicist Fran Curtis told CNN.
Rolling Stones leader Mick Jagger previously told the BBC that it was a “strange” choice for Trump to use the song “You can’t always get what you want” to wrap up his protests.
“It’s a fun song for a play-out song: a sleepy ballad about drugs in Chelsea,” said Jagger. “It’s kind of weird. He couldn’t be persuaded to use anything else.”
The Rolling Stones are just the latest musicians to contest the Trump campaign music elections. Last week, Tom Petty’s family issued a Trump campaign cease and desist notice after the “I’m Not Going Back” game was played at the Tulsa rally.
Keep reading
