Overview
- Three U.S. songwriters — Steve Cooper, Jon Sandler and Greylyn Johnson — filed a copyright lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on Wednesday, July 8, naming HYBE, HYBE America, BigHit Music and credited co-writers as defendants.
- The plaintiffs say they completed a demo called 'Swim' in March 2025 and circulated it to industry contacts, including executives at Artist Publishing Group, whom they allege shared the recording with others involved in BTS’s track.
- The suit includes a musicologist report by Alexander Stewart that identifies similarities in the title hook, harmonies, textures, rhythm and lyrics and concludes independent creation is unlikely, though Stewart has been retained in past high-profile cases that were later dismissed.
- BigHit Music on July 10 rejected the allegations as unilateral and unsubstantiated and said it will respond firmly through legal proceedings.
- The plaintiffs seek an injunction halting use of 'Swim,' damages or disgorgement of profits, or alternatively co-writing credit and a share of royalties, and the case now moves into early litigation steps that could include discovery, motions or settlement.