Eddy Grant has secured a legal victory against Donald Trump in a copyright infringement lawsuit over the unauthorized use of his 1982 hit song "Electric Avenue" in a 2020 campaign video.

District Court Judge John G. Koeltl ruled that Trump is legally and financially responsible for using the song without permission in his re-election campaign video. The court rejected Trump's defense arguments and found him liable for monetary damages.

Grant initially sought $300,000 in damages plus legal fees when filing the lawsuit in 2020. The remaining decision is whether a jury will determine the final amount owed.

The dispute began when Trump's campaign posted an animated video on Twitter mocking Joe Biden with "Electric Avenue" playing in the background. The video gained millions of views and approximately 100,000 retweets before removal.

Trump's legal team attempted to claim fair use, arguing that:

• The video was political commentary, not a campaign advertisement
• The song was "contextually transformed" in the clip
• Grant didn't have copyright ownership

Judge Koeltl dismissed these arguments, citing his earlier ruling that described the video as a "wholesale copying of music to accompany a political campaign ad."

This case joins numerous other music-related lawsuits against Trump from artists including the Rolling Stones, Celine Dion, and Jack White. Grant, known for his socially conscious music, stated that using his song to amplify "derogatory political rhetoric" was "wicked" and caused him "considerable emotional distress."

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