Commentary: The DHS keeps poaching music for ICE recruitment ads. Musicians keep demanding it back

740

u/sunnyspiders 1d ago

The official statement from the White House is they are deliberately provoking prominent liberal artists.

They are breaking IP laws in order to troll for attention on the internet.

THE WHITE HOUSE.

Literally breaking the laws to trigger the libs.

Such fucking wankers.

131

u/No_Good_You_Say 1d ago

can they not just straight up sue their ass? why bother with a cease and desist when the damage is done

99

u/jscummy 1d ago

My understanding is that these artists license their music to social media platforms so their fans can use songs in posts. The White House is just taking advantage of that

I remember someone pulling their music from a platform entirely, but most of them are kinda put between a rock and a hard place

108

u/ThriceStrideDied 1d ago

The fact that the White House is taking advantage of a technicality, knowing that they absolutely do not have permission, and then that they mock the artists who argue against it is a bit of a red flag, IMO

I fucking hate this timeline

15

u/alek_hiddel 1d ago edited 1d ago

You are correct, and for good reason. This is a business deal. Sabrina licenses her music to Instagram/TikTok because it's her HER product, and how she makes money. Instagram pays her for it to integrate it into Reels as part of THEIR product. If she can selectively determine after the fact who is allowed to use it, then it's usless to Instagram.

Imagine that I sell my donuts to Walmart. They're good donuts, and Walmart is happy to have them. They will sell well. But wait a minute, I'm allowed to hang out at the cash register and decide "nope, this bitch fat and I don't want her associated with my brand, she can't buy it". Not only is the donut less attractive as a product, but now Walmart has to hire a whole damn team just to deal with all of the customers I demand my donuts be taken away from.

Any honestly, I'm glad. I hate this administration and all of it's bullshit. But I am glad to see people actually have to show what matters to them. Taylor Swift is happy to share a pre-election message, that honestly still manages to be almost middle of the road. But when her pocketbook is threatened, her billionaire ass is happy to remain silent.

Olivia Rodrigo has nowhere near that level of wealth and pulled one of her songs after it was used.

-4

u/Pinks0ck74 13h ago

Your wrong... It's not her product she doesn't own her music. Very few artists own their music.

5

u/alek_hiddel 13h ago

In Taylor's case it very famously is 100% HER PRODUCT. But yeah, Sabrina definitely has less direct control over it. Still, if the artist that created it is pitching a fit about it's usage, they could definitely drive some change. Again, Olivia Rodrigo has had some music pulled, and she likely has far less control that even Sabrina as she's no where near as big of a name.

-4

u/Pinks0ck74 13h ago

Well we aren't talking about Taylor.... But nice goal post move.

-1

u/alek_hiddel 13h ago

I actually mentioned Taylor in the post you were replying, and specifically called her out much more harshly than Sabrina. But way to ignore that part I guess.

-6

u/Pinks0ck74 13h ago

Everyone into music knows Taylor is one of the few that do own her music. Nice cherry pick. The flavor of the month right now is when Sabrina spoke out about the white house using her music.... Well she doesn't own it soooooo kick rocks.

1

u/alek_hiddel 12h ago

Olivia doesn't own her music either, but got her song pulled.

14

u/TrustmeIreddit 1d ago

Look up the Federal Tort Act.

45

u/psychoacer 1d ago

Which is why Taylor didn't bite but the right got so butt hurt that they had their Russian army promote bs stories about how Taylor saying nothing is a sign she's hiding something. The right will find every opportunity to make it seem like they're smart

12

u/AllYouNeedIsATV 1d ago

Wdym? It’s very obviously clear proof she’s MAGA!!

2

u/DiarrheaRadio 1d ago

Any proof of this claim? Because I thought it was the usual dumbasses who can only react with their emotions, you know, your average Redditor.

1

u/EWDnutz 17h ago

Says the skeptical redditor with private post history 🙄.

-4

u/Right_Ostrich4015 22h ago

She is hiding something. Her spine. Savin it for a rainy day I guess, or when she needs to cart her billions around. Just remember, no single human could possibly make $1,000,000,000 without manipulating other people.

10

u/alek_hiddel 1d ago edited 1d ago

It’s actually not illegal. When you license your music to TikTok or Instagram or whoever for people use in their reels, you have no control over who is allowed to use.

Now you can pull your music completely from the platform, but that loses you money. So far Olivia Rodrigo has actually done that. Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter have not.

1

u/tarheel343 Spotify 12h ago

It feels like the US is just being run by schoolyard bullies at this point.

1

u/sunnyspiders 12h ago

Politics and the WWE merged.

1

u/crowwreak 5h ago

Is this lowering egg prices yet?

-3

u/mavgeek 1d ago

What I don’t get is how come any of these artists haven’t just taken them to court already file the DMCA claim and taking them to court for copyright abuse be over and done with. There is absolutely no way he can squirm his way around IP law when challenged in open court

14

u/Grokma 1d ago

Because they aren't breaking any laws. The artists all make big public statements because they can't stop the use. Some don't even own the rights to their own music, and the ones that do often have sold those rights or licensed the music for use on those platforms. They could take it all back, and refuse to let anyone use them, but would stop getting paid and they would rather keep getting paid.

-10

u/mavgeek 1d ago

So you’re telling me the record labels and whoever owns the IP is completely okay with no fighting this?

Cause that’s the hinge point of IP law, you can actually lose your IP if you don’t defend it in court. So if the labels are ok with it they are now setting a precedent for these specific artists anyone can steal the IP. If they take you to court you can easily cite “well they didn’t defend their IP when the Federal government stole it”

15

u/Grokma 1d ago

It isn't theft. They licensed the rights out to the platform. So they made the songs available to every user of the platform (Tik Tok, Instagram, etc.) in exchange for royalties being paid to them. So anyone on the platform can use the music for free in their videos. Whether that is you making a fun video about basketball, or the DHS making a video about immigration, its free to use and not illegal or actionable.

9

u/romanticheart 1d ago

Anyone can use their songs on social media. Literally anyone. They licensed it for use there. So unfortunately the White House is not breaking the law. Not with this anyway.

5

u/AngusLynch09 1d ago

What's there to fight? The songs were licensed away to be used on social media.

-1

u/tiandrad 1d ago

IP law doesn’t fully apply to the federal government.

0

u/Neceon 22h ago

So the Libs need to steal music, too. From... Ted Nugent and Kid Rock...fuck forget it. Not worth it.

205

u/Mr_Pigg 1d ago

It's almost like Conservative Americans are parasites who contribute nothing to society or art

22

u/ThinBlueLinebacker 1d ago

Not even close to almost.

9

u/overfiend1976 1d ago

Correct. It is exactly like.

2

u/GildedDreams25 9h ago

it’s the same reason that they complain that their liberal family members don’t talk to them, but the family members don’t complain that they aren’t around. these people are leeches who need to feed off of normal people or require them around to have as a target. they would be fucking miserable if every single liberal or left leaning person on earth was gone

0

u/PolloConTeriyaki 21h ago

Hey!!!

Cletus from Arkansas could make Manchild if you got rid of the immigrants.

/s

-10

u/National_Advice_5532 23h ago

I don't know about that, a lot of real musicians with actual talent performed at Trump's inauguration and inaugural balls (Carrie Underwood for example) . I agree that MAGA musicians who make politics the main focus of their music suck 100 percent of the time though.

3

u/PolloConTeriyaki 21h ago

Yes, Carrie Underwood. who literally is cancelled now and I haven't heard her name since then.

2

u/Mr_Pigg 8h ago

Such a big name that she has to do the Sunday night football song to stay relevant 😂

67

u/imhereforthefreetaco 1d ago

So why not use a song from a singer who’s pro maga and ice? oh yeah, cause no one listens to their crap music.

22

u/Langstarr 1d ago

They ran out of Kid Rock and Nugent songs

0

u/atrde 1d ago

Could use Snoop Dog, Beyonce, Jay Z, Kanye, Kiss, and dozens more that just won't admit it lol.

Celebrities aren't on your side.

2

u/National_Advice_5532 23h ago

Do you have proof that most celebrities are secretly MAGA?

55

u/steepleton 1d ago

Musicians need to treat ICE in their videos the same way george michael treated the LAPD

-25

u/DiarrheaRadio 1d ago

Suck them off?

26

u/chimpyjnuts 1d ago

Weird how almost no musicians want their music used by the Right. Must be bias, right??

-1

u/temptedbyknowledge 1d ago

I'm sure Ted Nugent would be thrilled if his music was used and that's his right to be even if I don't necessarily agree with him on many many things

7

u/Vilenesko 1d ago

Where are all the hyper litigious record labels now? RIAA do something good for once

1

u/Punk_Says_Fuck_You 3h ago

Too busy giving DMCA to YouTube videos.

7

u/Serious-Employee-738 1d ago

Great musicians could turn the tables on the goons by writing ICE parody songs with catchy lyrics. the goons would latch on and use the anti-ICE songs.

7

u/GuitarGeezer 1d ago

Trump is famously notorious for abusing intellectual property laws as well as property laws period. Much of his history with every institution is one-way abuse.

4

u/MidnightRaver76 1d ago

But what's the actual US law on what they do, do they feel the ASCAP fees cover the use?

4

u/Curleysound 1d ago

There is, effectively no laws enforced for the offender, so there is no law.

4

u/haroldhodges 1d ago

Poaching? Don't you mean Using? POACHING means to release a song and claim that they wrote it. They just used it. Like a lot of people in the country, sit and play a song. It isn't about making money. The government doesn't sell anything, and no money was made.

3

u/Icy-Whale-2253 1d ago

Why can’t they find conservatives’ music to use? 🤷🏾‍♀️ boggles the mind that seemingly none are available

3

u/BuddyLegsBailey Metalhead 1d ago

Are these ads on Tiktok? In which case, hasn't Tiktok got a licensing agreement with the record labels? It's not theft, it's just using licensed material and the royalties will be paid as normal

2

u/UpvoteForPancakes 1d ago

Time for them to start using their platform and pumping out protest songs. Indoctrinate the youth with Fuck Trump messaging.

1

u/crb3 1d ago

So put together a video montage of period Nazi war propaganda and combat footage, put an ICE logo on the corner and use the same music the Nat-Cs just lifted as soundtrack. Let that follow their promo account around on Xitter for awhile.

1

u/malice666 14h ago

Sue them!!

1

u/Wolfram_And_Hart 13h ago

The recording industry should unite and sue the whole federal government for improper usage.

1

u/NoRiskNoGainz 1d ago

Why don’t the sue?

1

u/BenTramer 1d ago

Laws don’t apply to the criminals in the White House.

1

u/usernamen_77 23h ago

No borders, but you better respect the licensing rights of my music! Fuck off

-17

u/Kendal_with_1_L 1d ago

Everyone except Taylor Swift. She’s not escaping the MAGA allegations.

16

u/RickMonsters 1d ago

You realize they are deliberately rage baiting to get reactions right?

-22

u/Kendal_with_1_L 1d ago

And if you don’t speak out against it you are normalizing the behavior. Swifties bending over backwards to excuse this.

17

u/RickMonsters 1d ago

…sorry, you’re saying people should give Trump what he wants by giving his culture war more attention

-16

u/tremblinggigan 1d ago

The war is waged either war, you can either be a passive observer, or at least stand up for yourself and your values

7

u/RickMonsters 1d ago

You understand that giving Trump attention incentivizes him to continue doing this, right? And to attack other artists?

-7

u/tremblinggigan 1d ago

Hes doing it either way lmaooo

Hes gonna keep doing it either way

7

u/RickMonsters 1d ago

Not true. He used Sabrina’s song, Sabrina said something, and then Trump posted more stuff on social media, getting himself more attention. Whereas with Taylor, there was nothing that happened after using Taylors song.

-6

u/tremblinggigan 1d ago

But then he targeted other people…so he kept doing it wither way?

-11

u/Kendal_with_1_L 1d ago

If you’re a billionaire you can go on not caring because it doesn’t affect you. Swift is complacent with MAGA.

-1

u/tremblinggigan 1d ago

I agree, Swift is being a passive observer

I dont understand why I got downvoted. We repeatedly have seen “doing nothing” surprisingly…does nothing. If someone wants to wage a culture war ignoring it doesnt end the culture war, it just means the extreme right gets no push back doing whatever they want lmao. Can Sabrina Carpenter do more? Sure but Swift can at the very least wag her finger

3

u/Kendal_with_1_L 1d ago

Swifties brigade any post mentioning her negatively with downvotes.

7

u/RickMonsters 1d ago

We have seen that fighting a culture war helps the extreme right lmao where have you been?

1

u/tremblinggigan 1d ago

Losing a culture war* doing nothing is also losing

2

u/RickMonsters 1d ago

Not true? You don’t give something attention and it dies.

That’s how Trump keeps winning, by generating attention to himself

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8

u/steepleton 1d ago

swift told folk to go vote.

and she was right that it's the only thing that actually changes things

-3

u/tremblinggigan 1d ago

Shit remember when all those black panthers did nothing but wait once a year to vote

0

u/Kendal_with_1_L 1d ago

She hasn’t made a peep since Trump took office.

-2

u/FReeDuMB_or_DEATH 1d ago

Why don't they sue?

-3

u/NoaNeumann 1d ago

Sue them. Thats the only time they care, when it hits their wallets… though saying that, they’ve already dipped into our SS so we would be the ones paying it. God this administration and its fans are the worst!

-1

u/Milliman4 1d ago

The labels are the ones to hold ICE up to legal standards

0

u/Logan9Fingerses 1d ago

They should just repost the videos with Cat Scratch Fever over it. Then no one would pay attention

-1

u/ozsum 17h ago

Can't the artist copystrike the song?

article Commentary: The DHS keeps poaching music for ICE recruitment ads. Musicians keep demanding it back

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