The lawsuit, filed in late 2006 by singer/songwriter Michael "McCloud" Snyder against Toby Keith, co-writer Scotty Emerick, his record label, distribution companies and publishing company, Tokeco Tunes claimed that Snyders's song, "Tourist Town Bar" is strikingly similar to Keith's 2003 hit, "I Love This Bar."
Following the dismissal, Toby Keith issued this statement...
"It is an awful thing to be accused wrongfully of copyright infringement. It goes to the core of what you are as a man, a singer/songwriter and an artist.
"You know it is being done to you by some greedy lowlife opportunist who just wants to get rich off you. In fact, Michael Snyder a/k/a Michael McCloud publicly bragged this lawsuit would make him a rich man, that I would buy him a comfortable life, retirement, house, car, 'big' boat,Harvard education for his children and other things. While he was talking, I was put in the terrible position of not being able to defend myself until the trial and I just could not wait for that day to come. I knew it would take no time at all for the case to be dismissed and it was, of course, with prejudice which means: He had no case whatsoever.
"I don't have a problem taking heat for my politics or my music. You can like my songs or not but they mean everything to me. I have always said that I may not always be a performer but I will always be a songwriter. So when this lawsuit was filed, it (ticked) me off. And no matter what it took, I was going to fight it. It was just too wrong. This guy can't sue me again for copyright infringement according to the judgment and I feel that maybe I landed a blow not only for myself, my reputation but for other artists as well. I hope so. As I said, the case was dismissed with prejudice. I didn't pay him or his lawyers a thing."
Editor's note: "Copyright Infringement" law states that anyone who violates any of the exclusive rights of the copyright owner ...is an infringer of the copyright or right of the author. In this lawsuit, it is in reference to one songwriter.