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BTS ‘SWIM’ copyright lawsuit against HYBE dropped by songwriters less than four months after filing
Steve Cooper, Jon Sandler and Greylyn Johnson have withdrawn their US copyright lawsuit alleging BTS’s song “SWIM” copied their demo. A judge dismissed the case without prejudice on 4 November, less than four months after it was filed, and cancelled its deadlines; the withdrawal means the claims could be brought again, and no court has ruled on whether copying occurred.
The complaint, filed on 8 July, named HYBE companies, publisher Artist Publishing Group and seven credited songwriters, including Ryan Tedder. The plaintiffs said they completed a demo with the same title in March 2025 and sought damages, profits or co-writing credit; HYBE’s Big Hit Music denied the allegations, calling “SWIM” an independent creation. The dismissal notice gave no reason, and court filings did not say whether the sides had settled. “SWIM”, released in March 2026 as the lead single from BTS’s “Arirang”, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In short
- Songwriters withdrew their lawsuit over BTS’s “SWIM”.
- The case was dismissed without prejudice.
- No court ruling or settlement was reported.