Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday sued journalist Bob Woodward over the release of audio recordings of interviews he gave the reporter in 2019 and 2020, as he claims he did not agree to share them publicly.
The former president’s lawsuit alleges that both the journalist and the publisher (Simon & Schuster) and the publisher’s parent company, Paramount Global, «illegally usurped» Trump’s copyrights by publishing an audiobook with hours of recordings.
«This case centers on Mr. Woodward’s systematic usurpation, manipulation and exploitation of President Trump’s audio,» according to Trump’s attorneys.
He has also acknowledged that he had given his consent to record his conversations «for the sole purpose of a book,» but this permission did not extend to bundling them for publication.
The complaint also alleges that Trump and his lawyers had previously «confronted» the defendants about the dispute, but «they blatantly refused to acknowledge President Trump’s copyright and contractual rights,» reports CNBC.
Trump’s legal team, moreover, has asked for $50 million (more than €46 million), all according to estimates calculated assuming the audiobook would sell two million copies at a download price of $24.99 (€22.57).
Trump participated in 19 in-person or telephone interviews with Woodward between December 2019 and August 2020, as well as in 2016 when he was still a candidate, according to the lawsuit. Woodward’s book, ‘Rage,’ was published a month after the last interview. In October 2022, Simon & Schuster released the audiobook of the recordings under the name ‘The Trump Tapes’.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
