Swift Wins Lawsuit Over "Basic Ideas" Lyrics

A federal judge has dismissed a copyright infringement lawsuit brought against Taylor Swift by self-published Florida poet Kimberly Marasco. The judge ruled that the alleged similarities between Marasco's poems and Swift's song lyrics were not protectable under copyright law, citing them as "basic ideas," "common observations," and "ubiquitous metaphors."

Judge Aileen Cannon stated that these elements, including common themes and isolated words, do not constitute protected expression. This ruling, issued on July 6, 2026, effectively ends Marasco's litigation against Swift, which has spanned over two years and involved two separate cases.

Previous attempts by Marasco to sue Swift over alleged lyric theft were also dismissed. In September of the previous year, a judge found that Marasco did not own rights to the common phrases she claimed Swift had copied. Swift's legal team had argued that Marasco's claims were "absurd and legally baseless."

The judge refused to allow Marasco another opportunity to amend her case, noting that she had been previously warned and had ample time to present her claims. The decision covers allegations related to songs from albums including Lover, Folklore, Evermore, Midnights, and The Tortured Poets Department, deeming all counts based on unprotectable content.