Jay Leno letter included in Trump's book without permission: Report
Donald Trump's plan to publish a $99 dollar coffee-table book containing letters he has exchanged with world leaders and celebrities may have hit its first speed bump.
According to a report from Axios, the former president plans to publish approximately 150 letters he has received from people he believes are his admirers – among them Oprah Winfrey, Richard Nixon and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un.
The book, from "Winning Team Publishing" -- a company co-founded by his son Don Trump Jr. -- is entitled "Letters to Trump." It's described as "a flashback to the days when famous people frequently wrote chatty letters to each other — and when Trump was the toast of many bold-face names," the Axios report notes.
However, Newsweek reported Friday that the former president's publisher didn't do its due diligence and get permission to publish the letters. In particular, representatives of former late-night comedian Jay Leno's production company stated no permission has been asked for or given, telling Newsweek's Jamie Burton, "Jay did not release, nor authorize any use of any letter to Mr. Trump."
As the report notes, Trump may soon be involved in another legal squabble over not clearing his intentions with the writers of the letters.
"He may face potential lawsuits in doing so. It is unclear whether Trump has the legal right to publish the letters without the sender's permission, and former Tonight Show host Leno has told Newsweek he did not grant Trump permission to share any letters from him," the report states before adding, "The principle that the writers of the letters, not the recipients, retain the copyright has been "well-established in copyright law" for hundreds of years according to Jane C. Ginsburg, professor of literary and artistic property Law at Columbia University School of Law in New York."
According to a representative for Trump's publishing company, ""The book comprises of a unique collection of correspondence either from President Trump or from public officials both foreign and domestic, or from private individuals. For those in public office at the time, no copyright protection arises.. For the last category, Winning Team Publishing has either actual or implied consent for their publication."
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