“Electric Avenue” Singer Eddy Grant Sues Donald Trump Over Campaign Video
Eddy Grant — the musician behind the nearly chart-topping 1983 hit “Electric Avenue” (it spent five weeks at #2) — is suing Donald Trump and his campaign for copyright infringement. As Billboard reports, Trump’s campaign used “Electric Avenue” in a video that was posted online and shared from Trump’s Twitter account last month. The clip uses the song as a soundtrack for an animated ad depicting a cartoon version of Joe Biden.
The lawsuit was filed in court today and follows a cease and desist letter that was sent last month asking the video to be taken down. “You need to get a synchronization license when you sync music to video,” Grant’s lawyer explained to Billboard. “This is copyright 101. You need to have a license and nobody in his campaign with a straight face could say he has the absolute right to do this.”
The suit is demanding a jury trial seeking a return of profits, the payment of licensing fees and statutory damages, and the removal of the video. “Eddy stands for peace and justice and this ad is not consistent with the ideals Eddy has stood for and sung about for years,” his lawyer told Billboard.
Last month, Neil Young also filed a lawsuit against the Trump campaign because Young’s songs have been played at his rallies.