1. “Shake It Off” Lawsuit: Playas Gon’ Play Dispute
One of the most notable copyright cases involving Taylor Swift centered around her 2014 mega-hit “Shake It Off.” In 2017, songwriters Sean Hall and Nathan Butler filed a lawsuit against Swift, alleging that her lyrics “players gonna play” and “haters gonna hate” were strikingly similar to the lyrics in their 2001 song “Playas Gon’ Play,” which they wrote for the girl group 3LW. The songwriters claimed Swift’s lyrics were a direct copy, while Swift and her team argued that the phrases were too common to be protected by copyright.
The legal battle dragged on for years, with the case facing multiple dismissals and appeals. In December 2022, attorneys from both sides requested that the case be dismissed, though no specific details about a settlement were made public. The case highlighted how difficult it can be to draw the line between commonly used phrases and original expression in music.
2. Copyright Clash Over “Lover” Artwork
In 2020, Taylor Swift found herself in a copyright dispute involving the artwork for her seventh studio album, Lover. A New York-based artist named Teresa La Dart claimed that the aesthetic design of the Lover album booklet, featuring a pastel color scheme and floral elements, was similar to a poetry book she had published in 2010. La Dart argued that the overall “look and feel” of Swift’s album packaging was a direct imitation of her work.
Although the case did not involve the album’s music, it raised interesting questions about visual artistic expression and how much protection is afforded to overall design themes. The case remained relatively low-profile, and while it didn’t go to court, it underscored the potential for copyright issues to extend beyond music to visual elements of an artist’s work.
3. “Look What You Made Me Do” and the Right to Re-Record
Taylor Swift’s battle over the rights to her master recordings led to a significant copyright story that gained massive public attention in 2019. After music mogul Scooter Braun acquired Big Machine Label Group, which held the master recordings for Swift’s first six albums, Swift was publicly outspoken about her inability to buy back the rights to her music. As a result, she embarked on a mission to re-record her early albums, starting with Fearless and Red.
But when a cover of her song “Look What You Made Me Do” was featured in a 2020 episode of Killing Eve, this problem reappeared in a novel way. The use of the cover was allegedly planned by Swift’s brother, Austin, in order to avoid licencing the original master recording, which was owned by Braun’s company. The clever workaround not only highlighted the complexities of copyright ownership in the music industry but also served as a strategic move by Swift to exert control over how her music is used until she completes her re-recording project.
Michael Coyle
info@lawdit.co.uk
