Neil Young ended a copyright lawsuit against President Trumpâs campaign over songs played at a rally in Oklahoma earlier this year.
The 75-year-old musician filed papers on Monday to drop the case, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The move comes less than two months before President-elect Joe Biden is set to take office, although Trump has yet to concede the race a month after the election took place.
The lawsuit was initially filed after the campaign played âRockin’ in the Free Worldâ and âDevil’s Sidewalkâ at the presidentâs notorious summer rally in Tulsa. Young had alleged that the campaign lacked a performance license.
The litigation was dismissed with prejudice, meaning that the copyright claims cannot be pursued in new filings going forward. Such a move can be indicative of a settlement being reached between the two parties, although no such settlement between the two parties has been publicly disclosed.
Other artists have also taken aim at Trumpâs use of their songs during his rallies. The Rolling Stones threatened to sue him earlier this year and said that they were working with the music rights group BMI to weigh possible legal action.
âThe BMI have notified the Trump campaign on behalf of the Stones that the unauthorized use of their songs will constitute a breach of its licensing agreement,â the Rolling Stones said in a statement. âIf Donald Trump disregards the exclusion and persists, then he would face a lawsuit for breaking the embargo and playing music that has not been licensed.ââ
The Stonesâ hit song “You Canât Always Get What You Want” has been a regular fixture at Trump rallies and events.
