Aerosmith sent a cease-and-desist letter to the White House through the attorney of Steven Tyler after discovering that Donald Trump used the song "Livin' on the Edge" during his rally in West Virginia Tuesday night.
The letter from Tyler’s lawyer Dina LaPolt, which was obtained by Variety, argues that Trump’s use of the song without the band’s permission violates the Lanham Act, a law that prohibits "any false designation or misleading description or representation of fact … likely to cause confusion … as to the affiliation, connection, or association of such person with another person." LaPolt alleges that by playing the track at his rallies, Trump is deceiving his base into believing that he has Tyler’s support and/or endorsement. "Mr. Trump is creating the false impression that our client has given his consent for the use of his music, and even that he endorses the presidency of Mr. Trump," the letter reads.
Tyler has been previously involved in disputes with Trump over his use of songs from the band’s catalog. Back in 2015, LaPolt sent a similar letter to Trump and his team after finding out that he was using "Dream On" while on the campaign trail. Trump made a big deal over the demand by airing out the issue on Twitter, claiming that he had a "better song" taking its place while claiming that the attention received by the story gave Tyler "more publicity on his song request than he's gotten in ten years."
