Three songwriters have initiated a copyright lawsuit against South Korea’s Hybe Corporation, claiming that the K-pop group BTS’ recent hit single “Swim” is a direct lift from their unpublished demo of the same name. The complaint, filed on Wednesday by Steve Cooper, Jon Sandler, and Greylyn Johnson, asserts that “Swim” reached the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 as the lead single from BTS’s album “Arirang,” and contains "substantial similarities" to their original work.
The legal action specifically targets Hybe and its subsidiaries—Hybe America and Big Hit Music—rather than BTS or its individual members. Grammy-winning songwriter Ryan Tedder, who contributed to “Swim,” is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
According to the plaintiffs, they circulated their demo to various industry contacts beginning in March 2025, including executives at Artist Publishing Group, who allegedly shared it with individuals involved in the creation of BTS’s song. Following the release of "Swim," the songwriters engaged musicologist Alexander Stewart to evaluate both tracks. Stewart concluded that key elements such as the song’s hook, harmonies, and lyrical components were “unequivocally taken” from the original demo.
The plaintiffs are seeking an injunction against the distribution of “Swim,” financial damages, and a significant share of its profits. Alternatively, they request to be recognized as co-writers with rights to nearly all revenue generated by the song and its copyrights.
The songwriters also noted their attempts to reach an amicable resolution with Hybe prior to pursuing legal action, but claim their efforts were unsuccessful.
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