Taylor Swift 'Shake It Off' lawsuit dropped before trial
She finally shook it off.
A copyright infringement lawsuit against Taylor Swift over her hit song "Shake It Off" has reportedly been dropped just one month before it was set to go to trial.
Swift and songwriters Nathan Butler and Sean Hall reached an agreement and asked a judge to dismiss the case "in its entirety," Variety reports. Terms of the agreement were not immediately clear.
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.
The songwriters first sued Swift in 2017, alleging she stole lyrics from the 3LW song "Playas Gon' Play" for "Shake It Off." Both songs feature variations of the phrases "players gonna play" and "haters gonna hate."
Butler and Hall argued these phrases were "completely original and unique" when they wrote the 2001 song, even if they "may seem like common parlance today." But in court documents, Swift maintained she "never heard the song 'Playas Gon' Play and had never heard of that song or the group 3LW" until the lawsuit. She also said that the phrases in question are "akin to other commonly used sayings."
A judge dismissed the case in 2018, saying the "allegedly infringed lyrics are short phrases that lack the modicum of originality and creativity required for copyright protection." But an appeals court revived it in 2019. A trial was scheduled for January. This would have set the stage for another high profile copyright infringement decision after a judge ruled that Ed Sheeran did not plagiarize his hit song "Shape of You."
The court victory comes as Swift's quest to re-record her old music to gain control of the master recordings continues. Some fans have speculated she has not yet re-recorded the album 1989, which features "Shake It Off," so as not to interfere with this litigation. If that's the case, the dismissal could potentially set the stage for 1989 (Taylor's Version) — as if she doesn't already have enough on her plate.
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.
-
What does the FDIC do?
In the Spotlight Deposit insurance builds confidence in the banking system
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine hints at end to 'hot war' with Russia in 2025
Talking Points Could the new year see an end to the worst European violence of the 21st Century?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
2024: The year of conspiracy theories
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Global strife and domestic electoral tensions made this year a bonanza for outlandish worldviews and self-justifying explanations
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
10 concert tours to see this winter
The Week Recommends Keep warm traveling the United States — and the world — to see these concerts
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, 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