BTS wins copyright battle as US court dismisses 'SWIM' lawsuit
What's the story
The US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia has dismissed a copyright infringement lawsuit against K-pop group BTS over their song SWIM, reported Korean media outlets. The complaint was filed by Melissa Mays in August, alleging that the band used her song without permission. However, the court ruled in favor of BTS, HYBE, HYBE America, and BIGHIT MUSIC on October 22.
Legal proceedings
Mays's complaint was initially dismissed in September
The court initially dismissed Mays's complaint in September as it lacked "legally viable claims."
Afterward, the plaintiff was given a chance to amend her filing by October 9.
However, when she submitted a revised complaint on October 8, the court dismissed it again due to insufficient evidence.
Ongoing case
Another lawsuit filed by different plaintiffs
Separately, songwriters Steve Cooper, Jon Sandler, and Greylyn Johnson have filed a federal copyright infringement lawsuit against HYBE, BIGHIT MUSIC, and HYBE America.
They claim that BTS's title track SWIM copied an unreleased demo of the same name they created in March 2025.
Their evidence includes a report by musicologist Alexander Stewart showing similarities between the two songs.
The BTS members are not named in this California case, and this suit is ongoing.
Tour update
Meanwhile, BTS is on their 'ARIRANG World Tour'
Meanwhile, BTS is currently on their ARIRANG World Tour.
The group has already performed 14 sold-out shows in South America with an estimated attendance of 8,53,000 fans.
They are now set to continue their tour in Asia for the remainder of the year.