Jack White Sues Trump For Using ‘Seven Nation Army’

According to the lawsuit filed in federal court in the Southern District of New York, the Trump campaign posted footage of the former president boarding a plane with “Seven Nation Army” playing in the background ahead of campaign rallies in the battleground states of Michigan and Wisconsin .

The White Stripes are the third music group or property to file lawsuits against Trump, underscoring how much artists want to distance themselves from the former president ahead of the extremely close presidential election. Arena licenses often cover Trump’s pre-rally playlists, though artists can opt out of those playlists.

Some of his allies and campaign officials have taken to posting short videos on social media with popular music playing in the background — much more dangerous terrain from a legal standpoint.

“As a sophisticated and successful businessman with decades of experience in the entertainment industry (not to mention having received numerous copyright claims from music artists whose works he used without permission ), Defendant Trump and the other Defendants, their agents knew or should have known that the use of 7NA’s works in the infringing Trump videos was unauthorized and therefore violated Plaintiffs’ rights under the Copyright Act,” it said the complaint states.

Margo Martin, Trump’s deputy communications chief, is named in the suit.

Trump’s lawyers are currently fighting a lawsuit over Eddy Grant’s 1983 hit “Electric Avenue.” Last week, a federal judge ordered the Trump campaign to stop performing “Hold On, I’m Coming” as the estate of Issac Hayes pursues legal action over what it claims was improper use of the song, which Hayes wrote- together.

The White Stripes are pushing to hold Trump liable for copyright infringement and damages related to the misuse of the song. White’s lawsuit asks the court to use the discovery process to determine whether the videos generated donations to Trump’s campaign.

“Seven Nation Army” is one of The White Stripes’ defining songs. It won Best Rock Song at the 2004 Grammy Awards. Decades later, it’s still used at sporting events. The duo previously spoke out when Trump used the song in 2016.

Business Insider reached out to lawyers representing Trump in two other copyright lawsuits in which he has been sued over music used by his campaign, one by “Electric Avenue” artist Eddy Grant and one by the estate of Isaac Hayes . Attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment.