Overview

• US District Judge Paul Gardephe dismissed the $49.98 million suit on July 18, ruling Trump lacked a copyright interest in recordings made for a journalistic work.
• Gardephe held that under federal law no president can claim private copyright in interviews conducted as part of official duties.
• The judge also ruled that Trump’s state-law claims are preempted by federal copyright statutes.
• Trump may amend his complaint by August 18 but the court signaled it is unlikely any revised filing will succeed.
• The decision marks a victory for Bob Woodward and Simon & Schuster and highlights tensions between press freedoms and executive communications.