Canada’s favourite folk-rock hero Neil Young recently became a dual American citizen, and he’s not happy about President Donald Trump’s use of his classic tunes at re-election rallies. So much so, that the "Harvest Moon" singer officially filed paper through his lawyer in a Manhattan federal court suing Trump for copyright infringement, and seeking $150,000 in statutory damages for each infringement.Young stated in his paperwork, which he also published on his
official website, that he, “in good conscience cannot allow his music to be used as a 'theme song' for a divisive, un-American campaign of ignorance and hate.”[video_embed id='-1']RELATED: These artists have asked Donald Trump to stop using their music[/video_embed]Young cited Trump’s repeated use of “Keep On Rocking In The Free World” and “Devil’s Sidewalk” as examples of infringement without proper licensing. He says the songs have been used since 2015 when Trump announced his bid for election, and as recently as June 20 at his Tulsa, Oklahoma rally.In the lawsuit, Young asserts that the Trump campaign’s insistence that it had obtained permission to use the music only proved that it was aware it needed permission, despite ignoring Young’s repeated public objections to his music being used for political events.“The campaign has willfully ignored Plaintiff’s telling it not to play the Songs and willfully proceeded to play the Songs despite its lack of a license,” the lawsuit reads.In the filing, Young made sure to add that his lawsuit is not meant to influence voters or denigrate opposite beliefs. "This complaint is not intended to disrespect the rights and opinions of American citizens, who are free to support the candidate of their choosing,” he wrote.After decades of living in the States, Young became an American citizen in January, posting to his
Instagram a photo of him saluting next to a voter registrar.
“I’m happy to report I’m in!!” Young captioned the photo. “Vote your conscience.” He ended the caption with an emoji of an American flag and a Canadian flag.He also wrote on his website at the time that he became a citizen
specifically to vote Trump out of office.Fear not, fellow Canucks, he has never forgotten his roots, as he posted
a video on his Instagram, seemingly taken by his wife, actress Daryl Hannah, where he holds up miniature Canadian and American flags, and sings that he’s proud to be a “Cana-erican.”
This isn’t the first lawsuit Trump has faced over his unlicensed usage of rock songs on the campaign trail. Recently, the surviving family of the late Tom Petty
also filed suit against the campaign for its use of the song “I Won’t Back Down” without permission.[video_embed id='2008148']BEFORE YOU GO: Miley Cyrus teases new music[/video_embed]
