BTS 'SWIM' plagiarism allegations resolved… "U.S. songwriters drop lawsuit" [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Top idol group BTS(BTS) has concluded the copyright lawsuit over its hit song 'SWIM'.

According to a Billboard report on the 5th (Korean time), attorneys for U.S. songwriters who filed a copyright lawsuit regarding 'SWIM', the title track from BTS's fifth full-length album 'Arirang', submitted documents to the court requesting that the lawsuit be fully withdrawn.

U.S. songwriters Steve Cooper, John Sandler, and Graylin Johnson filed a complaint with the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on July 8 last year, claiming that 'SWIM' infringed upon their copyrights.

They submitted an analysis by a musicologist as evidence, arguing that there was significant similarity between a demo song of the same name they completed in March 2025 and BTS's 'SWIM', citing similarities in melody, chorus, harmony, rhythm, and lyrics, and demanded damages and revenue sharing.

In response, Big Hit Music rebutted, stating, "It is merely a one-sided claim by the plaintiffs. 'SWIM' is an independently created song."

Prior to this, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia dismissed the amended complaint in a copyright lawsuit filed by Melissa Mays against BTS and its agencies Big Hit Music, HYBE, and HYBE America, and entered a judgment in favor of the defendants on October 22 (local time) last year.

Melissa Mays had filed a lawsuit on August 25 last year, claiming that BTS and others had used her unreleased song without permission.

However, Melissa Mays failed to present specific evidence regarding the BTS songs that allegedly infringed upon her work. Judge Leonie Brinkema, who was handling the case, determined in September last year that the plaintiff's complaint did not sufficiently contain legally viable claims, issuing an initial dismissal decision while granting an opportunity to supplement and submit the complaint by October 9.

Subsequently, although Melissa Mays submitted an amended complaint on October 8 last year, the court dismissed it, determining that the amended complaint also failed to meet legal requirements, thereby concluding the case.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original