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Swift Wins Copyright Case: Poet's Claims Dismissed
8 Jul
Summary
- Judge ruled basic ideas and themes are not copyrightable.
- Similarities cited included common themes and isolated words.
- Poet plans to appeal the judge's dismissal of the lawsuit.
Taylor Swift has successfully had a copyright infringement lawsuit dismissed by Judge Aileen Cannon. The lawsuit, filed in February 2025 by poet Kimberly Marasco, alleged that Swift copied lyrics from her poems for over a dozen songs across albums released from 2019 to 2024, including 'Lover,' 'Folklore,' 'Evermore,' 'Midnights,' and 'The Tortured Poets Department.'
Judge Cannon's ruling, issued on Monday, concluded that the works shared only "basic ideas and themes" such as corporate environments, being "gaslighted," and confronting adversity. These elements, along with common metaphors and isolated words like 'tears,' 'running,' and 'love,' are explicitly not protected by copyright law.
The court also found that the plaintiff failed to plausibly plead copying. Marasco had been given multiple opportunities to amend her complaint, but the judge deemed further amendments would be futile. Swift's legal team had previously called the claims "absurd and legally baseless."
Despite this legal victory, Marasco has indicated her intention to appeal the judge's decision. Swift is also facing a separate trademark infringement lawsuit from a Las Vegas performer.
