NEW YORK, July 18 (Reuters) - Donald Trump cannot pursue

his nearly $50 million lawsuit against the journalist Bob

Woodward for publishing tapes from interviews for his 2020

best-seller "Rage" as an audiobook, a federal judge ruled on

Friday.

The decision by U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe in

Manhattan is a victory for Woodward, his publisher Simon &

Schuster and its former owner Paramount Global ( PARAA ).

They had argued that federal law barred the U.S. president

from copyrighting interviews conducted as part of his official

duties, and that no president before him ever demanded royalties

for publishing presidential interviews.

The defendants also called Woodward the "sole architect and

true author" of the interviews, just as journalists like the

late Walter Cronkite and Barbara Walters were in interviews with

other presidents.

Woodward also said his interviews reflected "classic news

reporting" that helped convey accurate information to the

public, and thus amounted to "fair use."

Trump was interviewed by Woodward Trump 19 times between

December 2019 and August 2020, and about 20% of "Rage" came from

the interviews.

The book was released in September 2020, while the audiobook

"The Trump Tapes," including Woodward's commentary, was released

in October 2022.

Trump sued in January 2023, saying he told Woodward

repeatedly that the interviews were meant solely for the book.

Woodward said he never agreed to that restriction.

The $49.98 million damages request was based on what Trump's

lawyers called projected sales of 2 million audiobooks at $24.99

each.

Paramount sold Simon & Schuster in October 2023 to private

equity firm KKR for $1.62 billion in cash.

The case is Trump v Simon & Schuster Inc et al, U.S.

District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 23-06883.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York)