BTS 'Swim' Copyright Lawsuit Dropped After Just 4 Months

Three songwriters who accused the companies behind BTS of copying their unreleased demo for the group's No. 1 hit "Swim" have dropped their federal copyright lawsuit less than four months after filing it.

U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II dismissed the case without prejudice Wednesday, November 4, 2026, after Steve Cooper, Jon Sandler and Greylyn Johnson withdrew their claims in Los Angeles federal court. The filing gave no reason for the decision, and court records did not disclose whether the parties had reached a settlement.

The dismissal allows the songwriters to potentially bring their claims again, subject to applicable legal requirements. The case ended before a judge or jury determined whether the BTS recording infringed their copyrights.

Cooper, Sandler and Johnson filed the lawsuit on July 8, accusing HYBE and several affiliated companies, music publisher Artist Publishing Group and songwriters credited on "Swim" of copying an unpublished demo bearing the same title. Among those named was Grammy-winning songwriter and producer Ryan Tedder, who worked on the BTS recording.

BTS and its individual members were not named as defendants, although group member RM received a songwriting credit on the track.

According to the complaint, the three songwriters circulated their demo to music industry contacts in March 2025, including executives at Artist Publishing Group. They alleged that the recording was subsequently shared with people involved in creating BTS's version of "Swim," giving the defendants access to their original work before the song was released.

The plaintiffs claimed the two recordings contained substantial musical similarities and cited findings from a forensic musicologist they hired to examine the compositions. Their complaint alleged that the expert identified numerous elements of the BTS recording that had been taken from their earlier demo.

Big Hit Music, the HYBE subsidiary behind BTS, rejected the allegations, maintaining that "Swim" was independently created and that the copyright claims lacked merit.

The song was released in March as the lead single from BTS's album ARIRANG and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming one of the group's biggest releases following its return to group activities.

The litigation began narrowing before Wednesday's dismissal. The songwriters voluntarily dropped their claims against Big Hit Music in September, while the remaining defendants had not yet filed a formal response to the complaint.

Following the November 4 withdrawal, Judge Wright ordered the remaining case dismissed without prejudice, vacated outstanding court dates, and directed the clerk to close the proceedings. The order leaves the copying allegations unresolved, with no judicial finding of copyright infringement against HYBE or the other defendants.