More legal problems for Trump as court date looms over 2020 campaign ad: report
April 01, 2022
Former president Donald Trump may be headed for yet another deposition after failing to get a copyright infringement civil suit dismissed, according to The Guardian.
At issue was the unauthorized use of reggae singer Eddie Grant's popular "Electric Avenue" by the former president's 2020 presidential campaign in an ad posted on Twitter. The singer's attorneys claim the video has been viewed over 13.7 million times.
As the Guardian's Martin Pengelly wrote, "Reggae singer Eddy Grant may succeed where the attorney general of New York state and other powerful figures have struggled – by forcing Donald Trump to answer questions under oath in a legal proceeding."
As the report notes, Trump and his attorneys are refusing to settle the suit alleging copyright infringement, with the report stating Grant is asking for $300,000 in damages over the music that was used in the video.
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According to a filing from the singer's attorneys, "As of 1 September 2020, the video had been viewed more than 13.7m 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.”
Trump's attorneys have claimed he needn't by arguing, "Lawyers for the former president have claimed fair use, saying the ad was satire, exempt from copyright law, and used footage reposted without knowing its origin. They have also said Trump cannot be sued because of 'presidential absolute immunity'."
In response, Grant's attorneys filed new paperwork this week writing, "with consent from defendants Donald J Trump and Donald J Trump for President, Inc … to request a 60-day extension for the parties to complete discovery”.
"Lawyers for the two sides had tried to work out their disagreement over the dance floor staple on March 2, during a closed-door settlement conference before a magistrate judge, according to court records," Business Insider reported. The Guardian reports, "If the case is not settled and the new schedule is agreed, Trump and Grant will be deposed by 21 June."
It should be noted that the ad is no longer available on Twitter since the social media company suspended the former president's account permanently.
The original Eddie Grant video can be seen below:
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