Jack White and Meg White voluntarily dismissed their copyright lawsuit against Donald Trump, his 2024 campaign committee and campaign aide Margo McAtee Martin on November 10, 2024. The dismissal was without prejudice. It ended the case without a ruling on whether the defendants infringed the song’s copyright, and the available reports do not establish that the parties settled.
What the White Stripes lawsuit alleged
John Anthony White, professionally known as Jack White, and Megan Martha White, professionally known as Meg White, filed the case on September 9, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The complaint named Donald John Trump, Donald J. Trump for President 2024, Inc., and Margo McAtee Martin as defendants. The complaint alleged that the defendants used “Seven Nation Army” in social media video posts without the plaintiffs’ knowledge or consent.
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The complaint identified both the musical composition and the sound recording as the works at issue. Those claims were allegations made by the plaintiffs, not findings by a judge. The plaintiffs also stated their opposition to Trump’s policies; that position, like the infringement allegations, belongs to the plaintiffs and should not be mistaken for a court conclusion.
Why did they drop the case?
The November 10 notice does not give a reason for the voluntary dismissal. Contemporaneous coverage reported no public explanation, and Pitchfork said the band’s attorney offered no comment. The available sources do not establish whether the parties reached a private settlement or another agreement.
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What “without prejudice” means
The plaintiffs filed a notice under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a)(1)(A)(i), dismissing all claims against all defendants without prejudice. In this context, “without prejudice” means the dismissal notice itself did not bar the plaintiffs from refiling the claims. It does not mean they did refile, and the notice was not a decision on the merits. Pitchfork’s contemporaneous report also described the option to refile.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the court did—and did not—decide
The case ended through the plaintiffs’ voluntary dismissal, not a judgment resolving copyright liability. The court did not determine from this dismissal whether “Seven Nation Army” was used without permission, and the available sources do not establish a settlement. Jack White’s reported social-media phrase, “This machine sues fascists,” was his rhetoric about filing the suit, not a legal finding.
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