Neil Young Says He’s Considering Suing Trump for Playing His Song at Rallies

Breitbart ^ | July 28 2020 | DAVID NG

[knighthawk]

Rocker Neil Young said that he has changed his mind and is now considering suing President Donald Trump over the continued use of his 1989 hit single “Rockin in the Free World” at campaign rallies.

Neil Young said the reason he is considering is the president’s recent decision to deploy federal agents to urban areas in order to quell weeks of rioting and destruction. The musician described federal agents as “thugs” and said the rioting has been peaceful, despite the ample destruction to federal property and private businesses.

“I am changing my mind about suing President Trump. Reconsidering. I’m looking at it again,” Young wrote in a post on his official site.

[neverevergiveup]

Public Performance Royalties: If a song gets played in public (in nightclubs, at live concerts, on the radio, on television, etc.) the copyright owner of the musical work is entitled to payment for the performance of that song. However, in order to collect performance royalties, the songwriter usually needs to register as a member of a performance rights society, which will collect all royalties from the radio and television stations, nightclubs, live venues and other commercial establishments playing the songwriter’s music. There are three performance rights societies in the United States that collect performance royalties on behalf of songwriters: ASCAP (www.ascap.com), BMI (www.bmi.com) and SESAC (www.sesac.com). Songwriters can register with a performance rights society as soon as one of their songs is commercially recorded, offered for sale, or publicly performed. Performance rights organizations are not traditional music publishers and are only involved in the collection of performance royalties.

There is nothing I'm aware of in the law that says a songwriter has the right to pick and choose who can play their music. What if a songwriter said that no white people, or no black people can play their music? When I said "in the public domain" I was referring to the fact that the music had been released commercially to the public. This doesn't mean Young doesn't own it anymore. It means that others can use his music - if they pay royalties.

[the_daug]

How do you sue somebody for playing your song?

Lawyer!

[ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton]

I hope I hope Neil Young will remember
orange man don’t need him around anyhow...

[Ford4000]

No pictures, please. Nobody wants to see his face- trust me.

[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

I stated that your use of the phrase “public domain” is nonsense. Nothing you posted contradicts that.

[TStro]

I hope Mr. Young will remember
Southern man don’t need him around, anyhow

Lynyrd Skinner

[neverevergiveup]

Semantics. Commercially disclosed and public domain appear to be the same thing to me. Perhaps not. The real question is if Young can dictate who can play his music publicly. I don’t think he can - as long as his royalties are paid. If you have a solid legal basis that refutes that, then please let us know so that we don’t waste any more time debating this. Personally, I could care less what Neil Young does. I hope he has a wonderful life in his remaining years.

[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

When a work falls in the "public domain" the creator of that work or his decendents cannot receive royalties for it.

Public Domain

Land that is owned by the United States. Or.. In Copyright law, literary or creative works over which the creator no longer has an exclusive right to restrict, or receive a royalty for, their reproduction or use but which can be freely copied by the public.

Neil Young CAN restrict rights to use his work by withdrawing it from ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, or whoever he contracted to collect royalties.

[neverevergiveup]

Again, semantics.

“Neil Young CAN restrict rights to use his work by withdrawing it from ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, or whoever he contracted to collect royalties.”

Translation, he can restrict rights to use his work by withdrawing it from public access. If you put your work out there for public consumption, ANYONE can play it unless you restrict EVERYONE from playing it.

It’s like putting your house up for sale, and then saying that you’ll only sell to Catholics. You can’t do that. You can, however, take your house off the market.

[D_Idaho]

“Rockin in the Free World”

I always hated that song.

[EnquiringMind]

Hated him way before this.

[ontap]

This happened once with Rush.....the offended artist later said she was just kidding.....someone probably told her
(1 She couldn't
(2 she was making most of her royalties off of it

[wardamneagle]

Don’t Let It Bring You Down......Neil.

[LukeL]

If you do not like it, buy the rights to your music catalog and then you can decide who can play it and who can not.

[discostu]

The gap here is the difference between public performance, which as long as the venue, or event holder has paid ASCAP etc you can do, and promotion. When you use somebody else’s song to promote something you need permission, usually acquired with cash. You don’t add a song to your commercial by paying ASCAP. You need to contact the copyright holder and get permission.

Now, there’s an interesting question here when it comes to political rallies: are they performance or promotion? Honestly, I don’t know. And I’m not sure it’s ever gone to court to figure it out. But that is where the rubber meets this particular road. But again, the song is not rah rah and the person that decided to use it for Trump rallies is dumb, and they should dump the song anyway.

[proud American in Canada]

“They paying royalties or have a license like anybody else to play that song?”

I am quite sure that our President is doing everything by the book. He is not a fool.

[neverevergiveup]

Thanks! That was a very helpful and reasonable assessment. I appreciate it - sincerely.

[Churchillspirit]

Exactly. I’m sure the campaign team will have all their “i”s dotted and “t”s crossed.

[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

“Public domain” is a legal term. It doesn’t mean what you said it does. Q.E.D.

[proud American in Canada]

“another POS anti-American song by a POS anti-American fag”

As Sarah Palin would say, “You betcha!” LOL!