BTS’ Swim copyright case in US withdrawn by songwriters, four months after filing

BTS’ latest hit track Swim from ARIRANG has been at the centre of a copyright dispute in the United States after three songwriters alleged that the track bore similarities to an unreleased demo they had created. The legal challenge has now taken a turn, with the songwriters withdrawing their claims against the companies and music professionals associated with the track. The development comes nearly four months after the lawsuit was filed, according to reports.

Lawsuit against BTS' track Swim withdrawn

BTS’ song Swim is no longer facing the copyright lawsuit filed in the United States by three songwriters who alleged that the track copied elements of their unreleased musical work. Steve Cooper, Jon Sandler and Greylyn Johnson have withdrawn their claims, with their legal representatives asking a

federal judge in California to dismiss the case in its entirety.

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According to a report by Billboard, the request was submitted in a court filing dated Wednesday, November 4, in the US. The development comes around four months after the trio initiated legal proceedings over the song, which serves as the lead single from BTS’ fifth studio album, Arirang.

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Why was BTS’ Swim facing a copyright lawsuit?

The three American songwriters filed the lawsuit in July, claiming that BTS’ Swim had substantial similarities to a demo they had composed under the same title. According to their complaint, the trio had completed the demo in March 2025 and shared it with several people in the music industry, including executives associated with Artist Publishing Group. They alleged that the recording may have reached individuals involved in creating BTS’ track.

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The plaintiffs also cited an assessment by musicologist Alexander Stewart, who compared the two compositions. Their complaint pointed to similarities in elements such as the title hook, harmony, rhythm, musical texture and lyrics.

What did BigHit Music say about the allegations?

Following the filing of the lawsuit, BTS’ agency BigHit Music rejected the accusations and maintained that the song was created independently. “The lawsuit is nothing more than a one-sided claim by the plaintiffs,” the agency said in its earlier response. It added that Swim was an independently created work and that it intended to respond firmly through legal proceedings.

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The lawsuit named HYBE, its US subsidiary HYBE America, BigHit Music and several credited songwriters, including former OneRepublic member Ryan Tedder. BTS and its members were not named as defendants in the case, although RM is among the credited writers of Swim.