Taylor Swift to face trial over claim she ripped off 'Shake It Off' lyrics
Taylor Swift wasn't able to shake off a claim she ripped off lyrics for one of her most popular songs, at least not before it heads to a trial.
A judge has declined to dismiss a copyright case against Swift over her hit 2014 song "Shake It Off," BBC News reports. Songwriters Sean Hall and Nathan Butler have claimed Swift copied their 3LW song "Playas Gon' Play," which like "Shake it Off" includes versions of the phrases "players gonna play" and "haters gonna hate."
District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald previously ruled these lyrics are "too brief, unoriginal, and uncreative to warrant protection under the Copyright Act," pointing to numerous other songs that included similar language. But an appeals court reversed this ruling, while Swift sought a summary judgment to end the case. The judge has now denied Swift's request, ruling that "even though there are some noticeable differences between the works, there are also significant similarities in word usage and sequence/structure," and the court can't "presently determine that no reasonable juror could find substantial similarity of lyrical phrasing, word arrangement, or poetic structure between the two works," per The Guardian.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Hall previously said this case was "giving voice to all of those creatives who can't afford to stand up and protect their work in the face of well-financed Goliaths," while a representative for Swift said Hall and Butler "did not invent these common phrases nor are they the first to use them in a song," adding, "Their claim is not a crusade for all creatives, it is a crusade for Mr. Hall's bank account."
Swift previously faced a separate claim she stole the "Shake It Off" lyrics from Jessie Braham's song "Haters Gonna Hate," but a judge dismissed that case in 2015, writing, "We have got problems, and the court is not sure Braham can solve them."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
The teenage 'maths prodigy' who turned out to be a cheat
Under The Radar Jiang Ping defied expectations in a global competition but something wasn't right
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Puppet shows, pagodas and pho: a guide to Hanoi
The Week Recommends Vietnam's capital city blends the ancient with the new
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
'There are benefits, but not acknowledging them would tell only half of the story'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91
Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift ties Beyoncé record at MTV awards
Speed Read The pop star's acceptance speeches encouraged fans to register to vote and commemorated the victims of 9/11
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift shows canceled over attack threat
Speed Read Three upcoming concerts in Vienna were called off due to an apparent terrorist plot targeting large-scale events
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Sabrina Carpenter and Spotify conspiracy theories
In the Spotlight Popularity of viral hit Espresso sparks accusations of modern 'payola' and algorithm hijacking by streaming platforms
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Taylor Swift vs. The Beatles: who's bigger?
In the Spotlight With US megastar's 'Eras' tour arriving in Liverpool, comparisons to the Fab Four and Beatlemania abound
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Tall Tales: church dedicates service to Taylor Swift
Tall Tales The Week's round-up of the latest odd news
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
All the records Taylor Swift has broken
Speed Read Swift's 'Eras' tour is now the highest-grossing concert tour in history
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
Is pop music now too reliant on gossip?
Talking Point Taylor Swift's new album has prompted a flurry of speculation over who she is referring to in her songs
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published