According to the latest reports shared online, the ongoing ‘SWIM’ plagiarism issue has reached a final verdict. The accusers have dropped the entire case, according to the latest update. Read ahead to know more about the matter and what happened.
BTS ‘SWIM’ plagiarism lawsuit dropped
The legal issues with BTS’ latest release, ‘SWIM,’ have finally ended. Billboard recently reported that attorneys for songwriters Steve Cooper, Jon Sandler, and Greylyn Johnson filed the official request on Wednesday, November 4. Their filing stated that the court should dismiss the lawsuit. The news comes less than four months after it was filed by the accusers.The case started back in July when three songwriters filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Central District of California. Under their claims, the title track of BTS’s fifth full-length album, ‘ARIRANG,’ was allegedly similar to an unpublished demo of the same name that they had worked on and finished in March 2025. The report also shared that the trio had also shared the demo song with many parties that same month for recording. A musicologist’s analysis was done as well, and the three songwriters claimed that the melody, chorus, harmony, rhythm, and lyrics were all similar to the demo that they had earlier worked on.While BTS themselves were not named in the list of defendants, their management agency, the parent company, and their US branch of the company, as well as the songwriters, were all named in the lawsuit. At the time of writing, it has not been shared as to why the accusers backed out of the lawsuit within four months of the official filing.
BTS’ company’s statement about the lawsuit
Soon after the lawsuit was filed, the group’s management agency issued its own statement shutting down the allegations. They stated that ‘SWIM’ was an independently created song and that the plaintiff’s case was entirely based on one-sided assertions.The outlet also reported that the filing made on November 3 did not state the specific reason as to why the case was dropped or whether a settlement was reached outside of the court.Disclaimer: This report is a journalistic account of a recent court development. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy based on available information, this is not a substitute for the official court order or legal advice. The final ruling, which will be published by the court, is the definitive source of information. This article serves as a report on the current status of the case and should not be considered legal guidance.