The Rolling Stones threaten to sue Donald Trump for using their songs at rallies

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By ( Classic Rock ) published

After You Can't Always Get What You Want was used at Donald Trump's rally in Tulsa, the Rolling Stones have called in the lawyers

Donald Trumps at a rally in Tulsa
(Image credit: Win McNamee / Getty Images)

The Rolling Stones have threatened to sue Donald Trump for continuing to use their music at campaign rallies despite having received cease-and-desist orders in the past. 

The news comes in the wake of the band's 1969 hit You Can't Always Get What You Want being played at the climax pf Trump's rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, last week. The event was criticised for taking place despite new cases of coronavirus being on the rise in the state. 

This could be the last time President Donald Trump uses Stones songs," say the band in a statement. "Despite cease and desist directives to Donald Trump in the past, the Rolling Stones are taking further steps to exclude him using their songs at any of his future political campaigning. 

"The Stones’ legal team is working with BMI [Broadcast Music, Inc., one of the leading music rights management organisations]. BMI has notified the Trump campaign on behalf of the Stones that the unauthorised use of their songs will constitute a breach of its licensing agreement. 

"If Donald Trump disregards the exclusion and persists, then he would face a lawsuit for breaking the embargo and playing music that has not been licensed.”

A week ago Tom Petty's family issued a cease and desist order to Trump’s campaign after the singer's I Won’t Back Down was used at the the same rally.

Last month, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne slammed Trump for using Crazy Train in a recent Twitter video, while in 2019 Trump ran foul of copyright law after sharing a Twitter meme that featured music from Nickelback. 

Fraser Lewry
Fraser Lewry
Online Editor, Classic Rock

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.