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Friday, March 29, 2024 | Back issues
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Woman Says Author Swiped Work on Obama

HONOLULU (CN) - A woman who wrote reminiscences about "then presidential candidate Barack Obama" claims another author swiped her copyrighted work and published it without permission.

Joella Marie Edwards sued Trade Publishing Ltd. and Ron Jacobs in Federal Court.

"Plaintiff was approached by defendant Ron Jacobs to write about her relationship with then presidential candidate Barack Obama," according to the complaint.

The 6-page complaint does not describe when Edwards knew Obama, nor the nature of their alleged relationship, nor when Jacobs approached her.

Edwards says she "provided defendant Ron Jacobs with a sample of her own work that is protected by copyright. ...

"Defendant Ron Jacobs used the writing sample without her permission and violated her copyright."

Edwards says her "work" is called "Black in a Buff 'N Bllue [sic] World." The complaint does not state whether the work is a book or a shorter piece.

Edwards says she is a former resident of Florida and now lives in South Carolina.

Both Jacobs and Trade Publishing are based in Hawaii.

Edwards seeks punitive damages for copyright violations.

She is represented by Eric Seitz of Honolulu.

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