Neil Young sues Trump's PAC for $10 million over Rockin' in the Free World at rallies

Neil Young is taking Donald Trump to court again. The rock legend has sued Trump's political action committee for $10 million over the continued use of his 1989 song Rockin' in the Free World at campaign events, according to Digital Music News.

The case at a glance

• Court: US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
• Defendant: Trump's political action committee
• Damages sought: $10 million
• Also sought: an order stopping further political use of the song
• Events cited: a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, on 12 October and numerous other midterm rallies

What Young claims

1. Copyright infringement through public performance of the song.
2. Breach of the settlement that ended his first lawsuit over the same song in December 2020.
3. Damage to his reputation, by implying he supports Trump.

The legal hurdle

Venues usually hold blanket performance licences that cover playing recorded music, which can make song-at-rally cases hard to win. Young's case is likely to rest on whether the 2020 settlement was broken, rather than on copyright alone.

Why it matters

Many artists have objected to politicians using their songs. Few have gone to court twice. The outcome could shape how much leverage musicians have when a settlement, rather than a licence, is the only thing standing in the way.