American rock band Rage Against the Machine has filed a cease and desist order against British pro-Brexit politician Nigel Farage, calling on him to stop using the name Farage Against the Machine as the title for his podcast.
RATM’s lawyer Howard King sent the cease and desist letter to Farage’s team July 10. The letter, seen by The Hollywood Reporter, claims Farage’s show “brazenly and unlawfully exploits our client’s name and logo.” The band, known for its left-leaning politics, add that the name implies RATM support or endorse Farage’s right-wing agenda, something the letter calls “particularly abhorrent.”
“RATM has publicly denounced the type of right-wing ideology you espouse for decades. In fact, that has been an integral part of the band’s identity and purpose,” the letter reads. “Your anti-immigrant rhetoric, lack of social compassion and barely disguised racism and xenophobia are the antithesis of what RATM stands for. Stop using RATM’s name and logo, change the name of your podcast and find some other target to troll. We suggest President Trump.”
Farage, formerly head of the U.K. Independence Party, was the face of the pro-Brexit campaign and is a regular commentator on Fox News. He began his podcast earlier this year. Episodes of Farage Against the Machine have included interviews with Piers Morgan and Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson as well as a discussion as to why President Donald Trump should win the Nobel Peace Prize.
