ATLANTA — The Isaac Hayes estate and President Donald Trump have settled a lawsuit over the use of “Hold On, I’m Coming” at campaign events without the family’s permission.
Hayes’ son Isaac Hayes III posted a statement on X on Monday confirming both sides reached a settlement.
We’re working to learn the terms of the settlement for Channel 2 Action News starting at 4:00 p.m.
Channel 2’s Audrey Washington has been following the lawsuit since it was first filed in 2024.
The lawsuit claimed that Team Trump played “Hold On, I’m Coming” over 100 times at various campaign rallies and events without permission.
Hayes co-wrote the hit song in 1966. It was originally released and popularized by soul and R&B duo Sam & Dave.
The singer-songwriter’s family accused the campaign of ignoring copyright infringement notifications they sent.
“He continued to play the song multiple times after he was told not to, so that’s copyright infringement,” Hayes III previously told Washington.
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Team Trump argued they had every right to use the song under the Fair Use Act and that they had a licensing agreement with BMI.
During an emergency injunction hearing in September 2024, a federal ruled that team Trump did not own the license, but did allow the campaign to keep existing videos with the song on their website.
Attorneys for the Hayes estate were seeking millions in unpaid licensing fees. The family’s statement Monday did not list the settlement’s terms.
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