A new lawsuit claims that BTS’s chart-topping smash “Swim” stole key elements from an unpublished demo by three little-known songwriters.
In a case filed Wednesday (July 8) that was obtained and first reported by Billboard, Steve Cooper, Jon Sandler and Greylyn Johnson claim the BTS hit — which debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 this spring as the lead track off ARIRANG — has many “substantial similarities” to their own song of the same name.
Related
Inside Runner Music, the Indie Publisher Making Hits for BTS’ New Album & More: ‘We Have Great Ambitions’
Naoshi Fujikura of Universal Music Japan on Japan's Unique Superfan Culture & Global Ambitions: Billboard Global Power Players Interview
Katsumi Kuroiwa of Avex on the Bruno Mars Publishing Deal & Taking the Company Worldwide: Billboard Global Power Players Interview
“Upon listening several times [to “Swim”], plaintiffs came to what they considered to be the obvious and inescapable conclusion that [it] copied in very large part the original work and clearly infringed their copyrights,” lawyers for the trio of songwriters write in the complaint.
The lawsuit doesn’t name BTS or its members as defendants; instead, it targets their label, HYBE, and its subsidiaries, HYBE America and Big Hit Music Co. It also names the songwriters behind the BTS track, including former OneRepublic member Ryan Tedder, a Grammy-winning hitmaker who has also written songs for Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Adele.
A key requirement in any copyright lawsuit is proving that an alleged infringer had “access” to the materials they supposedly copied. That’s often a difficult task for plaintiffs, and high-profile music cases against Dua Lipa and Anitta have been rejected on those grounds in recent years.
In Wednesday’s complaint, the three accusers say they started sending out copies of their demo in March 2025 “to various parties for them to consider.” That allegedly included to execs at Artist Publishing Group, who the plaintiffs claim “listened to the [demo] and shared it with others,” including some of the songwriters who eventually worked on “Swim.”
After the BTS track was released, lawyers for Cooper, Sandler and Johnson say they hired a musicologist named Alexander Stewart who analyzed the songs and confirmed their suspicions. Their lawsuit quotes heavily from his report, which concludes that the BTS version contained numerous elements that were “unequivocally taken” from the demo.
“These similarities encompass the signature phrase (or ‘hook’) referencing the title, unusual harmonies, textures, and rhythmic and lyrical elements,” Stewart wrote in the report. “These elements are unique in the aggregate as well as distinctive individually. In my expert opinion, independent creation of BTS can be ruled out and copying is the inescapable conclusion.”
Stewart has been involved in a number of high-profile music lawsuits, including the case against Ed Sheeran over Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” and his 2014 hit “Thinking Out Loud,” as well as another case against Led Zeppelin over “Stairway To Heaven.” In both lawsuits, he was similarly retained by the accusers — and in both, juries eventually rejected those accusations.
After hiring lawyers, Cooper, Sandler and Johnson say they contacted HYBE and the other defendants in “an attempt to resolve this dispute,” but that such efforts went nowhere: “Defendants either did not respond or were unable to reach a resolution with Plaintiffs, necessitating the filing of this action.”
Reps for Hybe, APG and Tedder did not immediately return requests for comment. The defendants will file formal arguments in the months ahead rebutting the claims of the lawsuit and seeking to have it dismissed.
Hence then, the article about bts hit swim faces copyright lawsuit claiming it was stolen from demo obvious and inescapable was published today ( ) and is available on billboard ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( BTS Hit ‘Swim’ Faces Copyright Lawsuit Claiming it Was Stolen From Demo: ‘Obvious and Inescapable’ )
Also on site :
- Elon Musk’s judge has ‘significant misgivings’ about $1.5 million Twitter settlement—but approves it anyway
- Effy's Pearl Necklace Is Perfect for Embracing the Coastal Grandmother Trend, Now 64% Off at Nordstrom Rack
- Quote of the Day: Pope Francis on Having an Open Heart, Staying Confident and Never Giving Up