Linkin Park has said it has issued a cease and desist order after the band’s music appeared in a video supporting Donald Trump.
The video, which featured the 2001 song In The End, had been posted by the president’s director of social media Dan Scavino and retweeted by Trump.
It was disabled by Twitter following the report of the copyright violation.
— Dan Scavino (@DanScavino) July 17, 2020
The band wrote on Twitter: “Linkin Park did not and does not endorse Trump, nor authorize his organization to use any of our music. A cease and desist has been issued.”
Linkin Park did not and does not endorse Trump, nor authorize his organization to use any of our music. A cease and desist has been issued.
— LINKIN PARK (@linkinpark) July 19, 2020
In The End is one of the group’s biggest hits featuring frontman Chester Bennington, who took his own life in 2017.
They are the latest musical group to take legal action against the Trump campaign and its supporters over use of songs.
The family of the late singer Tom Petty asked the US president to “cease and desist” from using the song I Won’t Back Down for campaigning purposes.
— Tom Petty (@tompetty) June 21, 2020
The Rolling Stones, meanwhile, said Trump could face legal action if he continues to use one of their tracks at his campaign rallies.
The band announced their legal team was working with the world’s biggest performing rights organisation the BMI to stop him using their songs at any of his future political campaigning.
The BMI notified the Trump campaign that any future use of any Rolling Stones musical compositions will be in breach of its license agreement with the organisation.
Rock band Queen were also not happy with Trump when he walked on stage to We Are The Champions during the Republic National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, in the lead-up to the election that put him in the White House.
The band said on Twitter that it was “against our wishes” for the song to be used.
Adele’s hits Rolling In The Deep and Skyfall were played at Trump’s political rallies in 2016, prompting her spokesperson to point out she had not given permission for her music to be used for any political campaigning.
REM frontperson Michael Stipe was furious after the band’s song It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) was played at a rally.
Trump also faced the US rockers’ ire when he retweeted a video of his State of the Union address accompanied by the band’s 1992 song Everybody Hurts.
The doleful ballad played as the camera panned to the faces of prominent Democrats looking downcast and irritated by Trump’s speech.
The president has also been criticised by Pharrell Williams, Rihanna, the late Prince’s estate and Aerosmith for using their music at his rallies.
