Rihanna says please do stop the music

It was just last week we reported on the dispute between Pharrell and President Trump after it emerged that the US leader used Pharrell's 'Happy' track at a rally without permission.

A week later and President Trump is in the bad books of yet another music artist, this time, Rihanna. At a rally in Chattanooga, Tennessee, President Trump used Rihanna's hit, 'Please don't stop the music'. Rihanna was notified about the use of her hit song at the rally after the Washington Post Reporter, Philip Rucker, tweeted that the atmosphere at Trumps rallies are "unlike anything else in politics" and that Rihanna's hit was "blaring".

Rihanna responded to the tweet, thanking Philip for the "heads up" and expressing that neither her nor her people would ever be at one of these "tragic rallies". Following Rihanna being notified about the use of her music at the rally, her legal team served the US leader with a formal cease and desist letter. The letter demanded the US leader to stop using Rihanna's music as it's unauthorised use creates the erroneous impression that Rihanna is somehow associated with President Trump.

It appears Rihanna is joining the long queue of music artists disgruntled by the US leaders use of their music.  Axl Rose, lead singer of Guns N' Roses, addressed people's concerns on Twitter after 'Sweet Child O' Mine' was also played at a Trump rally. Rose explained in his tweets that the "Trump campaign is using loopholes" to play artists songs without their consent.

Convention centres and arenas, the types of locations Trump may use for a rally, usually have licenses to play music. These licenses however, according to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, often exclude the use of music for political events.

If you have any questions on the above, please do not hesitate to contact the team at McDaniel & Co. on 0191 281 4000 or legal@mcdanielslaw.com.