NEW DELHI: The family of late soul legend Isaac Hayes is suing Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump for using the iconic song “Hold On (I’m Coming)” at his rallies without permission. The lawsuit comes after repeated attempts to stop Trump from playing the hit song at his campaign events.

The announcement of the lawsuit followed a social media post by Isaac Hayes III, in which he accused Trump of racism and disrespect toward women.
He said, “Donald Trump represents the worst in integrity and class with his disrespect and sexual abuse of Women and racist rhetoric.”

Isaac Hayes III, son of Isaac Hayes, announced the legal action on Sunday, stating, “We the family of Isaac Hayes Enterprises, represented by Walker & Associates, are suing Donald Trump and his campaign for 134 counts of copyright infringement for the unauthorised use of the song ‘Hold On I’m Coming’ at campaign rallies from 2022-2024.”
James Walker Jr, a lawyer for the Hayes family, told the Daily Beast that they are giving Trump “five days to pay or we will push ahead with legal action.” He noted that despite numerous requests over the past two years, the Trump campaign has not responded. “The family keeps asking him not to play the music,” Walker Jr said. “They don’t want people to think he’s endorsing Trump. They are opposed to somebody stealing their music.”

The lawsuit demands that Trump cease using the song, remove all related videos, issue a public disclaimer, and pay $3 million in licensing fees by August 16, 2024. “Failure to comply will result in further legal action,” Isaac Hayes III added.
Walker Jr emphasised the family’s concerns about the unauthorized use of the music, saying, “They care about the music being played in front of thousands of people… without any permission, he should be paying this family substantial money to play his music.” He also mentioned that if the Trump campaign does not comply, they will start issuing takedown notices on platforms like YouTube.
As of now, the Trump campaign has not publicly responded to the lawsuit or the allegations made by the Hayes family.