Trump campaign insists it had right to use Foo Fighters song, despite band's angry reaction

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Independent

12 hours ago


Donald Trump’s campaign says it had a license to play Foo Fighters hit track “My Hero” at a rally in which the former president received the endorsement of political rival-turned-backer Robert F Kennedy Jr, despite the band saying they did not grant permission.

The Independent has seen documents appearing to confirm that the campaign had indeed licensed the song from BMI’s Songview service. “We have a license to play the song,” a campaign spokesperson said.

Kennedy, who suspended his campaign as an independent presidential candidate on Friday, joined Trump onstage in Arizona, as pyrotechnics blasted and the Foos song played.

In a statement shared with The Independent, a spokesperson for Foo Fighters said: “Foo Fighters were not asked permission, and if they were, they would not have granted it. The spokesperson added that “appropriate actions are being taken” against the Trump campaign and any royalties received as a result of this usage will be donated to the Harris/Walz campaign.

Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/foo-fighters-my-hero-trump-rfk-jr-b2601348.html

[tavernier]

1. Then they should stay tuned for a special song

written in their honor.

[Blue Owl]

2. They got a permission slip from the Colonel of Show Business

Yeah sure, whatever…….

[tanyev]

3. The campaign may have the legal right to play the songs they use,

but the artists have the right to publicly express their disapproval.

[The Grand Illuminist]

5. They can also go into self publishing

That way they have total control over their songs without labels get in the way and have unauthorized purchasers sneak in to obtain licenses themselves.

[twodogsbarking]

4. Rudy has the papers. Oh wait, he lost them.

[wolfie001]

15. Buried under his supply of shoe polish

[ificandream]

6. Be interesting to see the way this one ends up.

[JohnnyRingo]

7. That may be true if they have an ASCAP license.

Nearly very bar and club pays the dues to play music. ASCAP makes sure the money gets to the songwriters.

Dave Grohl can't stop them from playing his songs any more than Toby Keith could demand a gay bar pull his music from the juke box.
Grohl is doing the right thing by donating that cash to the Harris campaign though. The best thing an artist can do is use their stardom to generate negative press about the campaign. They wouldn't want that and run the risk of any song they play.

[IbogaProject]

8. They other crew, BMI is the supposed source of the licence

This will play out. I hope we can pass a Federal law that campaigns have to get direct permission from the artists and not be able to use corporate middlemen to use the music. This is advertising which is regulated differently than just playing music at a bar or whatever. I know not all artists licence their music for advertising.

[iemanja]

9. The artists sign contracts selling the licenses for their music

A federal law can't abrogate existing contract law. Artists can retain control of their own music, but they sacrifice distribution and other perks that come with association with a record label.

[IbogaProject]

10. use in advertising isn't compulsory even with that deal

Advertising is it's own thing.

[iemanja]

11. The OP says this is about the playing of a song at a rally

which is not advertising.

[JohnnyRingo]

12. I can see how that's true.

I actually complained to a server once about Applebees using the iconic tunes of my youth in their commercials. LOL
I hate that I hear a The Rolling Stones on TV only to look over at the TV and see a plate of sizzling shrimp. And it makes me hungry.

[moniss]

13. Well to an extent the answer is yes but

any use which would denigrate the artist, their image etc. is not allowed. If it were the Klan and the Nazis would long ago have been licensing music and using it like an implied approval of their views.

[wolfie001]

16. Toby Keith can only push up daisies now

That nasty, hateful mf'er................

[onenote]

14. The Songview license should not cover the use of the song at a political rally

BMI has a separate licensing regime specifically for political events. The campaign would have to obtain that license, which it probably did. However copyright holders can opt out their songs from that licensing regime. I don’t know whether Grohl opted his songs out. It would be unfortunate if he hadn’t. More info here: https://www.bmi.com/licensing/entry/political

[wolfie001]

17. I'm a bit miffed that Grohl's been throwing shade at Taylor Swift lately

No need for that