Trump lawsuit over use of Electric Avenue is rocking down to court

New York, New York - Reggae star Eddy Grant, who sued Donald Trump for the illegal use of his song Electric Avenue in 2020, has been granted a deposition date with the former president.

Eddy Grant (r.) and his legal team might actually succeed in getting Donald Trump to testify in court.
Eddy Grant (r.) and his legal team might actually succeed in getting Donald Trump to testify in court.  © Collage: IMAGO/Everett Collection & teutopress

There is certainly one politician Grant doesn't want rocking down to Electric Avenue.

The musician is suing Trump and his camp for $300,000 in damages over copyright infringement for the unauthorized use of his famed song. The tune was used in a Trump campaign ad that was posted to the then president's Twitter page.

On March 2, both legal teams attempted to come to a settlement agreement in a closed door meeting, but it seems they failed to do so.

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In a new letter penned by one of Grant's lawyers on Wednesday, it was revealed that both parties will now be giving recorded depositions. It states that "additional time is needed to schedule and take the depositions of both parties."

On Thursday, presiding US district judge John G. Koeltl granted an upcoming deposition date of June 21.

The ad in question shows an animated Joe Biden slowly pushing a rickshaw as a "Trump train" blasts by him at full speed. Random soundbites of Biden can be heard as Electric Avenue plays in the background.

According to the lawsuit, "As of 1 September 2020, the video had been viewed more than 13.7 million times; the tweet containing the video had been 'liked' more than 350,000 times, re-tweeted more than 139,000 times, and had received nearly 50,000 comments."

In its defense, Trump's legal team argues the ad is satire, and use of the song falls under fair use, making it exempt from copyright law.

Trump has successfully evaded being forced to appear in court and testify under oath over the years, despite a wealth of lawsuits and investigations since his tenure as a one-term president.

As someone who is known for habitually lying, it will be interesting to see how well the Trump brand works when he's under oath.

Cover photo: Collage: IMAGO/Everett Collection & teutopress

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