A federal judge has denied motions to dismiss a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Isaac Hayes' estate against Donald Trump and others regarding the use of "Hold On, I'm Coming" at campaign events.

Key Points of the Ruling:

• Judge Thomas Thrash Jr. rejected the dismissal motions during a 50-minute hearing
• The initial defendants included Trump, his campaign, the RNC, NRA, Turning Point Action, American Conservative Union, and BTC
• A December 2024 amended action narrowed defendants to Trump, his campaign, Turning Point, and BTC
• BTC's case will be transferred from Georgia to Tennessee

The Infringement Claims:

• While defendants obtained a public performance license, the Hayes estate claims their opposition caused the work to be excluded
• The lawsuit also concerns unauthorized synchronization in social media content
• Turning Point's motion to dismiss for lack of standing was rejected
• Trump's legal team's motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim was denied

Ownership Dispute:

• Trump's team questioned the ownership details of "Hold On, I'm Coming"
• They challenged a 2014 Warner Chappell copyright termination
• The Hayes plaintiffs revealed that all known heirs are members of Isaac Hayes Enterprises
• Primary Wave owns 25% of Isaac Hayes' work catalog

Current Status:

• The judge denied defendants' request to pause discovery
• The case will proceed with the discovery phase
• BTC's portion of the case will continue in Tennessee

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