Toby Keith lashes out at failed lawsuit over stealing song

In a statement from Keith, he said, "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."

The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in Miami in December 2006 by Michael McCloud, of Key West., Fla., who alleged that Keith took "I Love This Bar" from him in a copyright infringement suit.

"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."

McCloud is a songwriter and singer at a bar in Key West, Fla.

"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 pissed 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."