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Judge blocks Trump campaign from using Isaac Hayes' music
A federal judge has ordered the Trump campaign to stop using the music of late artist Isaac Hayes on the campaign trail. FOX 5's Deidra Dukes has the story.
ATLANTA - Isaac Hayes' family members and their attorneys held a news conference outside the Richard B. Russell Federal Building in Downtown Atlanta on Tuesday.
They praised a federal judge's ruling, ordering former President Donald Trump and his campaign to stop using their father's song "Hold On, I'm Coming" at campaign events.
Attorneys for the late singer's family faced off against Trump's lawyers in court.
"We are very grateful for the decision by Judge Thrash. Donald Trump has been barred from ever playing the music of Isaac Hayes again," Hayes son Isaac Hayes III told reporters.
The Hayes Estate sued the Trump campaign for repeatedly using the song, arguing Trump didn't have permission to use it, and was causing irreparable harm to the late singer's brand.
"I want this to serve as an opportunity for other artists to come forward who don't want their music used by Donald Trump and other political entities, and to continue to fight for music artists' rights and copyrights," said Hayes.
The Trump campaign also scored a victory in court. The judge denied the family's request that Trump be forced to take down campaign videos currently online that feature the song.
Trump Attorney Ronald Coleman told reporters, "We're not clear that the Hayes family has an ownership right. The judge felt there was enough in the record to acknowledge it's a little bit murky, and the judge acknowledged that it's murky."
Trump's attorneys insist the campaign didn't violate copyright law, but indicated in court documents filed Friday, they would no longer use the song.
"Out of consideration for the family, the sentiment of the Hayes family, and to avoid litigation, we would stop using it so it's not being used anymore," Coleman explained.
Attorneys for the Hayes family said they will continue to fight to remove the disputed campaign videos and are seeking monetary damages.