Daily US Times: The Rolling Stones have threatened US President Donald Trump that he could face legal action if he continues using their songs at his campaign rallies.
The band’s legal team issued a statement saying it was working with the performing rights organisation, the BMI, to stop the unauthorised use of their music.
President Trump campaign used the song You Can’t Always Get What You Want at Tulsa rally last week. His campaign used the same song in the 2016 US election.
the band tweeted in 2016 that it does not endorse Donald Trump.
On Saturday, a statement released from the representatives for the group said that “further steps to exclude” Mr Trump from using Rolling Stones material in future presidential campaigning was necessary after previous “cease and desist directives” had been ignored.
Trump campaign was notified by BMI on behalf of the Stones that the use of their songs without permission will constitute a breach of its licensing agreement, and would be subject to legal action.
In April this year, the Rolling Stones released their first new single in eight years, Living In A Ghost Town. The band is fronted by 76-year-old singer Sir Mick Jagger.
The Rolling Stones are not the first major act to call on the Trump campaign to stop using their songs.
The family of rock musician Tom Petty issued a cease and desist letter earlier this month to the Trump campaign over the unauthorised use of his song I Won’t Back Down at the Tulsa rally.
The statement said: “Trump was in no way authorised to use this song to further a campaign that leaves too many Americans and common sense behind.”
The family said in a statement in Twitter that the late artist would “never want a song of his used for a campaign of hate”.
Petty died in 2017 at the age of 66, of an accidental drug overdose after taking painkillers.
In 2018, Grammy Award-winning musician Neil Young lashed out at Trump after hearing one of his songs played against his wishes during Trump’s pre-midterm campaign rallies.
Rihanna, Aerosmith, Pharrell Williams, Adele, and the estate of singer Prince have all hit out after the use of songs by Trump.
And singer Betty Buckley also recently urged composer Andrew Lloyd Webber to stop the president using “Memory” at his campaign rallies.
Campaigning will continue in the coming months despite coronavirus cases surge in many US states. But Mr Trump appearing to leave behind the crisis as he prepares to face Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden in November’s presidential election.