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24 August 2018Copyright

Trump receives cease-and-desist letter from Aerosmith frontman

The lead singer of rock band Aerosmith has reportedly sent a cease-and-desist letter to US President Donald Trump after he used their hit song “Livin’ on the Edge” at a rally.

Steven Tyler also hit out at Trump on Twitter on Wednesday, August 22.

The Hollywood Reporter  said the singer’s lawyer sent a cease and desist letter to the President on the same day, after “Livin’ on the Edge” was played at one of his rallies in West Virginia on Tuesday, August 21.

According to the letter, Tyler is “unaware” of any public performance licence which grants Trump the right to use Aerosmith’s music in connection with rallies or other events.

In a Twitter post entirely written in capital letters, Tyler said he does not let anyone use his songs without his permission.

“My music is for causes not for political campaigns or rallies,” it read.

Tyler went on: “Protecting copyright and songwriters is what I’ve been fighting for even before this current administration took office.”

This is not the first time that Trump has received a legal threat from Aerosmith.

In 2015, Tyler issued a demand that Trump’s campaign stop using the band’s song “Dream On” at campaign events, according to  The Hollywood Reporter. Trump, who was a Presidential candidate at the time, reportedly used the song at rallies in Georgia and Alabama.

“Dream On” was also played at Trump’s Presidential announcement.

The Hollywood Reporter noted that, given this history between Aerosmith and Trump, the President is aware that he needs express written permission to use the band’s songs. The cease-and-desist letter said Trump’s conduct is wilful, as a result of this knowledge.

The letter, written by Tyler’s lawyer, said: “By using 'Livin’ On The Edge' without our client’s permission, Mr. Trump is falsely implying that our client, once again, endorses his campaign and/or his Presidency, as evidenced by actual confusion seen from the reactions of our client’s fans all over social media.”

It added that Trump should respond to the letter within 24 hours to avoid facing claims for infringement. Two days later, on August 24, the President does not appear to have issued a response to the allegations.

In his tweets earlier this week, Tyler added that he has been “pushing” for the Music Modernization Act to be passed.

The act strives to bring licensing and royalty rules up to date with the modern streaming era, and has received widespread support from the music industry.

As reported by music publication Rolling Stone, the proposed legislation needs a full Senate vote after the Senate Judiciary Committee approved it in June.

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