South Korean juggernaut BTS have obtained some excellent news on the authorized entrance. A US federal court docket has dismissed a copyright lawsuit filed towards the group and their company, Large Hit Music, after the complainant failed to determine a sound case. The ruling places an finish to 1 authorized dispute involving the Ok-pop group. Nevertheless, one other case over their tune SWIM continues to be underway, with Large Hit Music strongly denying claims that the monitor copies one other composition.
US court docket guidelines in favour of BTS
In accordance with South Korean publication Star Information, the US District Courtroom for the Jap District of Virginia dismissed Melissa Mays’ amended criticism on October 22, ruling in favour of BTS, Large Hit Music, HYBE and HYBE America. Melissa had filed the lawsuit on August 25, claiming that BTS and their crew had used her unreleased songs with out her consent. Nevertheless, she couldn’t present particular proof to help her allegation or set up that the group’s music had been taken from her work.
The case had already hit a roadblock in September, when decide Leonie Brinkema discovered that Mays’ unique criticism didn’t set up legitimate authorized grounds. She was given till October 9 to revise her submitting and supply additional particulars. Though Mays submitted an amended criticism on October 8, it didn’t tackle the problems raised by the court docket. The court docket subsequently dismissed the criticism and dominated in favour of BTS and the opposite defendants, successfully bringing this explicit lawsuit to an in depth.
What’s the separate SWIM copyright case?
The Virginia court docket’s resolution doesn’t put an finish to all of the authorized bother surrounding BTS. The group continues to be going through a separate copyright case within the US over the tune. Composers Steve Cooper, John Sandler and Graylin Johnson filed the lawsuit within the Central District of California on July 8, claiming that the BTS tune makes use of parts from their copyrighted work.
The tune options because the title monitor of BTS’ fifth studio album, Arirang. The composers allege that the tune is just like a demo that they had accomplished in March 2025, which additionally goes by the identical title. To help their declare, they’ve reportedly submitted a musicologist’s evaluation highlighting similarities between the 2 tracks. They’ve pointed to the melody, refrain, concord, rhythm and lyrics, arguing that the overlap quantities to copyright infringement. The composers are in search of damages and a share of the earnings from the BTS tune.
Large Hit Music has pushed again towards the accusations, making it clear that the company doesn’t agree with the composers’ claims. Responding to the lawsuit, the label acknowledged: “That is merely a unilateral declare by the plaintiff. SWIM is a tune created independently.”
About BTS
BTS, whose title stands for Bangtan Sonyeondan, are a seven-member South Korean group comprising RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook. They made their debut in June 2013 beneath Large Hit Leisure, which is now a part of HYBE. Since then, the group has grown from a Ok-pop act into a world music phenomenon, constructing an enormous fan following throughout nations and taking Korean music to a a lot wider viewers.
The group made their long-awaited comeback as a full unit on March 20, 2026, with their fifth studio album, ARIRANG. That includes 14 tracks, the album marked their first full-group launch in three years and 9 months. BTS additionally kicked off their 2026-27 world tour in Goyang, South Korea, on April 9. The tour covers 34 areas and contains 85 reveals throughout Asia, North America, South America, Europe and Australia, with the ultimate leg scheduled to run till March 2027.