JAKARTA - BTS' hit song "Swim" has been sued in the United States for alleged plagiarism of an unreleased demo. BigHit Music rejected the allegations as a one-sided claim and stated that it was ready to take legal action.
Quoted from Yonhap on Saturday, July 11, three US songwriters, Steve Cooper, John Sandler, and Greylyn Johnson, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday local time.
They alleged that "Swim", the lead single from BTS' fifth album titled "Arirang", had substantial similarities with their own song also titled "Swim".
Billboard reported that the plaintiffs listed Hybe, Hybe America, and BigHit Music as defendants. A number of writers who are listed in the song credits, including former OneRepublic member Ryan Tedder, are also sued.
BTS and its members are not listed as defendants. However, RM is listed as one of the writers of "Swim".
Hybe is the parent company of BigHit Music, while Hybe America is the company's unit in the United States.
The plaintiffs claim to have distributed demos of their songs to a number of parties in the music industry since March last year. The demo was sent to, among others, executives of Artist Publishing Group, a music publishing company and independent label.
According to the lawsuit, the label listened to the demo and shared it with others, including several of the writers of BTS' "Swim".
The plaintiffs also included an analysis by music expert Alexander Stewart. He said the two works had similarities in the hook or memorable parts of the song, unusual harmonies, textures, rhythms, and lyrical elements.
"In my professional opinion, the possibility that the work was created independently can be ruled out and copying is an inevitable conclusion," Stewart wrote in his report.
The opinion comes from an expert appointed by the plaintiff and has not yet become a court decision.
Stewart was previously involved in copyright cases against Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" and Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven". Both cases were eventually rejected.
BigHit Music on Friday denied the allegations and insisted that "Swim" was made independently.
The company called the allegations a one-sided claim.
"We will respond firmly through legal processes," BigHit Music said.
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