A federal judge in New York has dismissed a complaint President Donald Trump filed against journalist Bob Woodward, publisher Simon & Schuster, and then-parent company Paramount Global, over their use of taped interviews in an audiobook product Woodward produced.
Trump launched the lawsuit in January 2023 and filed two subsequent amended complaints, asserting he had consented to Woodward interviewing him, knowing that his statements may be reproduced in a written format.
Woodward had initially used several interviews with Trump to source quotes and details for the book “Rage,” which Simon & Schuster published in 2021. While Trump said that he expected the contents of his interviews to be repeated in written form, he objected to Woodward’s decision to later use the audio recordings for the audiobook version of “The Trump Tapes: Bob Woodward’s Twenty Interviews with President Donald Trump,” published in 2022.
The complaint notes Trump is credited as one of the readers of Woodward’s 2022 audiobook but “has received no compensation in connection with said work.”
Trump’s legal team sought about $50 million in damages for the unauthorized use of his voice, figuring the audiobook was likely to sell 2 million copies at $24.99 per copy.
Addressing Trump’s claims, Gardephe concluded that Trump hadn’t sufficiently demonstrated that he and Woodward intended to be co-authors at the time Trump granted interview access to the journalist.
Gardephe also challenged the idea that Trump would have a copyright over his responses to the questions asked of him in an interview.
“We’re very pleased the Court agreed with us and dismissed the case,” Simon & Schuster said in a statement provided to media outlets.
The defendants had filed a motion to dismiss the case with prejudice, which would permanently remove the lawsuit threat. Gardephe instead ruled that Trump’s team could try again and submit a third amended complaint by Aug. 18.
“While it appears unlikely that Plaintiff can adequately plead a plausible copyright interest in The Trump Tapes or any non-preempted state law claim, this Court cannot find at this stage that any amendment would be futile,” the judge wrote in his order.
In a statement following the ruling, Trump’s legal team expressed frustration with the ruling.
“In another biased action by a New York Court, this wrongful decision was issued without even affording President Trump the basic due process of a hearing,” the statement from Trump’s legal team read. “We will continue to ensure that those who commit wrongdoing against President Trump and all Americans are held accountable.”
