The White Stripes duo of Jack White and Megan White are dragging Donald Trump to court for the unauthorized use of their song Seven Nation Army. White shared the news on September 9, posting a picture of the legal notice on Instagram.
The post was paired with a caption: "This machine sues fascists." As per Jack's Instagram post, the suit is filed in the Southern District of New York and lists Trump and his spokesperson, Margo Martin, as the defendants.
It alleges the defendants of 'flagrant misappropriation' of the band's hit song, which Trump's team used in a video of the Republican candidate boarding a plane. As per Rolling Stone, the suit further mentions how the video was posted on X and Instagram with intentions to infuse energy and excitement into Trump's campaigns.
Readers must note that the now-deleted 10-second video was first posted on X by Margo Martin on August 29, 2024. It featured the immediately recognizable introductory riff of the Seven Nation Army in the background.
All you need to know about Jack White's lawsuit against Donald Trump
Jack White who seemed to have come across the campaign video last month, didn't seem very pleased with Donald Trump using the White Stripes song. Taking immediate action, he posted a screen capture of the X video on August 30 and warned Trump's team of a lawsuit.
The post was paired with a heated caption condoning Donald J. Trump and hinting at the incoming suit:
"Oh....Don't even think about using my music you fascists. Law suit coming from my lawyers about this."
"And as long as I'm here, a double fu*k you DonOLD for insulting our nation's veterans at Arlington you scum. You should lose every military family's vote immediately from that if ANYTHING makes sense anymore."
The White Stripes duo stressed in the suit that Trump did not obtain permission from the band to use their music in his campaign.
The White Stripes duo's suit mentioned how they publically denounced Trump for using the hit song for campaigns in 2016. They alleged that the use of the hit song was a complete violation of the duo's rights under the Copyright Act.
Meg and Jack White's suit also hints at the duo's displeasure about Trump's offensive policies and actions during his presidential term.
The White Stripes duo's suit sought a jury trial of the suit. They will also be looking for 'yet-to-be-evaluated' monetary damages, attorney's fees, and remuneration of other costs.
The representatives defending Donald J. Trump told Rolling Stones on Monday that they have yet to review the claims made in the lawsuit. Donald Trump, however, has kept his lips sealed about the matter.
Jack White of the White Stripes is not the only musician who wants Donald J. Trump to stop using their songs for campaigns and promotional items. Rihanna, Foo Fighters, Beyonce, and Celine Dion have previously expressed displeasure, and sent legal notices to Trump and his campaign team.
