Screenshot via The Don Lemon Show
Isaac Hayes III told Don Lemon he has no intention of dropping a lawsuit against President-elect Donald Trump over his team playing the classic song Hold On, I’m Coming, co-written by Hayes’s father, the late Isaac Hayes.
Hayes joined Lemon on The Don Lemon Show on Friday and said his issue with Trump is not politically motivated, but comes down to a simple matter of copyright infringement.
“There are multiple counts of copyright infringement, what we call willful copyright infringement and so we got a temporary injunction to stop him from ever playing that song again and he did stop playing that song. And now it comes to the point of the case because the case is not over — now is it that they want to settle this case or do they want to take this case to trial?” he said.
According to Hayes, the rights to 1966’s Hold On, I’m Coming (sung by the soul duo Sam & Dave) reverted back the families of co-writers
“If someone used Trump’s IP, would he sue them to tell them to stop? Absolutely. This is no different from me and it was not a political motivated issue for me,” he said, who added that he licenses the song out to major companies for six figures.
A judge in September banned Trump’s team from playing Hold On, I’m Coming at rallies until the case with Hayes’s family is settled.
Lemon asked Hayes if he has “concerns” Trump could retaliate through the Department of Justice or the Internal Revenue Service once he’s back in the White House, but Hayes dismissed these concerns, saying he won’t move in a “state of fear.”
“I’m a believer in God, I’m a believer in what I’m doing is the right thing to do — Donald Trump has enemies, there are a lot more people he can be mad at, and he might have time for that, but again, I’m not going to move in a state of fear over a simple matter of
Watch above via The Don Lemon Show (relevant portion begins at 29:00).