[Sportschosun Reporter Jo Min-jeong] BTS's title track "Swim" from its fifth full-length album has been hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit in the United States, while its agency, Big Hit Music, has flatly denied the plagiarism allegations.
Big Hit Music said on the 10th that "this lawsuit is a one-sided claim from the plaintiffs" and added, "We make it clear that 'Swim' is an independently created work. We plan to respond firmly in future legal proceedings."
Earlier, Billboard reported that three composers — Steve Cooper, John Sandler, and Graylin Johnson — filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in a U.S. court on the 8th local time.
The plaintiffs claimed that BTS's "Swim" shares key elements with an unreleased demo of the same name that they created. They said the two songs are substantially similar in the hook, chord progression, rhythm, sound texture, and even some lyrical phrases, and have taken legal action. The defendants include HYBE, HYBE America, Big Hit Music, and the composers who participated in producing "Swim." However, individual BTS members were not named as defendants.
The plaintiffs also claimed that they shared the demo with several music industry figures in March 2025, and that it was also passed on to some of the composers involved in making "Swim." They added that they had tried to resolve the dispute with HYBE before filing the lawsuit, but failed to reach an agreement.
Big Hit Music has completely denied the plagiarism allegations and made clear that it will respond legally, so the dispute is expected to continue in a U.S. court.
Jo Min-jeong mj.cho@sportschosun.com
