PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP v. SIMON & SCHUSTER, INC., ROBERT WOODWARD, and PARAMOUNT GLOBAL

Donald J. Trump, the 45th President of the United States, has filed a legal complaint against Simon & Schuster Inc. (SSI), Robert Woodward, and Paramount Global for allegedly misusing and exploiting audio recordings of President Trump, which were obtained from a series of interviews with Woodward. The complaint was filed in the US District Court and seeks a declaration of President Trump's copyright interests, as well as the recovery of damages.

The book publishing industry is a competitive arena, with SSI being one of the largest players and a member of the industry's so-called "Big Five". They pay substantial advances to authors for successful books, offering a range of support services such as editorial, production, marketing, and distribution. President Trump is a well-known figure in the industry, having published several best-selling books himself.

The legal complaint alleges that SSI, Paramount, and Woodward used the audio recordings obtained from President Trump for their own financial gain, converting it into an audiobook and other works without respecting President Trump's rights. The audiobook, "The Trump Tapes: Bob Woodward's Twenty Interviews with President Donald Trump," was released in multiple formats, including CD, paperback, and e-book.

The complaint argues that President Trump and Woodward had a mutual understanding that the recordings would be used solely for the purpose of writing the book "Rage" and not for any other uses, including an audiobook. However, President Trump alleges that the audio recordings were manipulated for the benefit of the defendants' desired narrative, deviating from the original recordings and taking liberties with his words.

The defendants are accused of deviating from standard industry practices, failing to obtain necessary releases, misappropriating President Trump's copyright interests, and manipulating recordings to benefit their narrative, ultimately depriving President Trump of the opportunity to publish or not to publish his words.

The complaint argues that President Trump has suffered harm and estimates that he sustained damages of at least $49,980,000 as a result of the sales of two million copies of the book "Fear". The case seeks damages, attorney's fees, and costs, as well as a declaration of President Trump's copyright interests.

The book publishing industry continues to evolve, and this case highlights the importance of respecting and protecting authors' rights. The outcome of this case may have far-reaching implications for the industry and for authors seeking to protect their rights in the digital age.