In 2020, Donald Trump shared a campaign video on Twitter that utilized Eddy Grant‘s 1982 hit “Electric Avenue.” Shortly after, the musician filed a lawsuit alleging copyright infringement. Developments on the suit moved slowly, but the case has now been discontinued two months after it was ruled that Trump did, in fact, infringe on Grant’s copyright.
According to Billboard, the suit was settled without a need for additional litigation. The official amount that Trump owes Grant in damages has not been disclosed.
In 2020, the official Eddy Grant website published a news release alleging that Trump was liable in excess of $100 million. The artist’s legal counsel, Wallace E.J. Collin, stated at the time: “As a result of your wrongful unauthorized Infringing Use in connection with your controversial political campaign, substantial damage and irreparable harm has occurred and will continue to occur to my client and his reputation as an artist when affiliated in any way with your campaign.”
He added: “We prefer to resolve this dispute expeditiously, in order to avoid time-consuming and costly litigation and the negative publicity that can surround the unauthorized use of such an iconic musical composition especially where the use indicates a fundamental misunderstanding of the very meaning of the underlying work.”
Grant included a brief statement at the time, writing: “I call upon such arbiter, as is responsible for this sordid abuse, to come forward like a man and let’s sort this thing out, in the way that America demands when such issues are to be sorted, especially when they are wrong. Mr Trump, I am calling on you. You are the final arbiter and I await the word from you.”
The video was swiftly removed from Twitter (now X), but Grant maintained that the damage had already been done. In September, Judge John G. Koeltl described the video as “a wholesale copying of music to accompany a political campaign ad.”
Keep up with the latest trending music news by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Author: Al; Denté
Photo: Stuart Sevastos