BTS won a U.S. copyright lawsuit, and a separate plagiarism claim over their song “SWIM” is also being challenged legally.
November/2/2026 12:51Related Groups & Members
BTS (BTS, also known as the Bulletproof Boy Scouts) won a copyright lawsuit that had been contested in the United States. According to reports from Korean media, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, on October 22 (local time), dismissed the copyright lawsuit that Melissa Mays had filed against BTS, their agency BIGHIT MUSIC, their parent company HYBE, and HYBE America, among others. Melissa Mays filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against BTS in August of this year, but she was unable to present evidence proving similarity. The court first dismissed the case, saying that she had not been able to establish a legally valid cause of action. Melissa Mays was given an opportunity to supplement her complaint, but the court ultimately ordered dismissal, and the lawsuit ended with a victory for BTS and HYBE. BTS is also proceeding with legal 대응 regarding plagiarism allegations over the title track “SWIM” from their 5th full album “ARIRANG.” Three composers—John Sandler, Graylin Johnson, and Steve Cooper—filed a lawsuit claiming that there was considerable similarity between their demo song and BTS’s “SWIM.” In response, BTS said, “We clearly state that ‘SWIM’ is an independent creative work. We plan to respond firmly in future legal proceedings,” and began taking action. • BTS, plagiarism allegations over new song “SWIM” • Heading to court in the U.S.… BIGHIT comments, “It is nothing more than a one-sided claim” • BTS’s 5th full album “ARIRANG” charts on the main Billboard chart for 31 consecutive weeks!
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