One of the writers of the 1980s hit "Eye of the Tiger" is suing Mike Huckabee's presidential campaign for playing a snippet of the song during a rally for Kim Davis after she was released from a Kentucky jail for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Frankie Sullivan, a guitarist and founding member of the band Survivor, sued Huckabee for President on Wednesday for infringing on Sullivan's copyright, which he holds through his publishing company Rude Music, according to Reuters.
The suit, filed in federal court in Illinois, where Sullivan lives, alleges that the former Arkansas governor allowed the Grammy winning song to be played publicly at a campaign appearance supporting Davis.
"Huckabee for President's unauthorized public performance, or inducement of or contribution to the public performance, of the copyrighted work infringes Rude Music's copyright," the lawsuit reads. "Huckabee for President's infringement of 'Eye of the Tiger' is willful. Mr. Huckabee is sophisticated and knowledgeable concerning the copyright laws, both as a private individual and media-savvy business owner."
The lawsuit also asked the court to determine damages that should be awarded to Rude Music, which includes "actual damages and defendants profits or statutory damages."
The Huckabee campaign, however, contests this, saying that it would not be "bullied," according to CNN.
"Mr. Sullivan is demanding an amount of money that exceeds the average yearly salary of a hard-working American simply because a snippet of his song was played briefly at a rally," Huckabee spokeswoman Alice Stewart said Thursday. "The campaign offered Mr. Sullivan fair compensation, but that offer was rejected. We refuse to be bullied."
