A federal judge dismissed former President Trump’s lawsuit against renowned journalist Bob Woodward regarding an audiotape from an interview for Woodward’s 2020 book.
This ruling by US District Judge Paul Gardeff comes a year and a half after Woodward, along with his publisher, requested the case be thrown out. Trump’s legal team had been vocal about their frustration over the slow progress, repeatedly asking Gardeff to take firmer actions.
In his decision, Gardeff rejected Trump’s claim of being a co-author of the tape’s contents, affirming that the responses given during the interview were indeed under copyright protection.
He remarked, “The idea that interviewees hold a copyright interest in their answers lacks support from existing case law, and reaching such a conclusion would contradict the fundamental principles of copyright law.”
The judge also found that Trump’s allegations under state law were overridden by federal copyright law.
A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team criticized the ruling, claiming it was issued by a “biased” New York court without a fair hearing. They vowed to pursue holding Trump and others accountable for actions deemed fraudulent against American citizens.
Trump initiated the lawsuit against Woodward in January 2023.
The suit stemmed from an interview that allowed for Woodward to record their discussions, but it asserted that reporters and their publishers lacked the authority to sell the audio recordings independently.
The lawsuit, totaling $49 million and naming Woodward, Simon & Schuster, and its parent company Paramount Global as defendants, surfaced after Paramount sold the major publishing entity to a private investment firm.
Comments were sought from Simon & Schuster and Paramount regarding the ruling.
Trump’s legal representatives expressed ongoing frustration with the judge’s delays in addressing motions over several months.
Following Trump’s presidency, his lawyers continued urging judicial action, but in December, the judge indicated he was still “working” on the matter and declined to expedite the process.
