IP Law Daily, COPYRIGHT NEWS: Musician Neil Young sues Trump committee for use of song at political rally, (Oct 28, 2026)

By Brian Craig, J.D.

The complaint seeks $10 million in damages and injunctive relief for unauthorized use of the song “Rockin’ in the Free World.”

Singer and songwriter Neil Young has filed a copyright infringement suit against the election committee for President Donald Trump in the federal district court in Richmond, Virginia, seeking $10 million in damages and an injunction for unauthorized use of the song “Rockin’ in the Free World” at a campaign rally in Ohio. The singer alleges that the Trump election committee used the song at a political rally on October 12, 2026, in Youngstown, Ohio and at other events without permission. The complaint also alleges willful copyright infringement based in part on a previous settlement in 2020 with the Trump election committee (Young v. Trump 47 Committee, Inc., No. 3:26-cv-01398-REP (E.D. Va. Oct. 26, 2026)).

Copyright infringement. Singer and songwriter Neil Young is a well-known musician who has twice been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The singer and his music publishing company, Silver Fiddle Music, filed suit against the Trump 47 Committee, Inc., the campaign committee for President Trump. The political committee manages and supervises rallies to encourage participants to vote for Republican candidates in the mid-term elections scheduled for November 3, 2026. The musician filed suit in the federal district court in Virginia alleging one count of copyright infringement for unauthorized use of the song “Rockin’ in the Free World” at a political rally on October 12, 2026, in Youngstown, Ohio. The musician owns the registered copyright to the song “Rockin’ in the Free World.”

Willful infringement. The complaint alleges that Trump’s political committee has willfully used the song at multiple campaign events without permission, including the rally in Youngstown. The complaint asserts that a previous copyright infringement lawsuit was filed in 2020 against the campaign committee for Trump, Donald J. Trump For President, Inc. The 2020 campaign committee settled with Young for an undisclosed amount with a promise to never again use the song “Rockin’ in the Free World” without a license and permission from Young, according to the complaint. The complaint alleges that the song “contrasts with the hollow promises of American political rhetoric with the harsh realities faced by the poor, homeless and forgotten.” The complaint also alleges that the lyrics to the song “paint vivid street-level portraits” of a mother discarding her baby, addicts lost in despair, and garbage piling in the shadows of prosperity while the chorus delivers a “savage irony, celebrating freedom that clearly isn't shared by all.” In short, the complaint alleges that the lyrics to the song embody the “opposite of everything that Donald J. Trump stands for.”

Remedies. The musician is seeking damages of $10 million against the Trump election committee for willful copyright infringement and reasonable attorney fees. In addition, the complaint seeks an injunction to bar the Trump election committee from using the song “Rockin’ in the Free World” and other songs owned by Young at public events and other campaign rallies.

The Case is No. 3:26-cv-01398-REP.

Judge: Payne, R.

Attorneys: Scott Andrew Simmons (Scott Simmons Law PC) for Neil Young.

Companies: Trump 47 Committee, Inc.

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