US Court Dismisses Copyright Lawsuit Against K-Pop Group BTS

A US federal court has dismissed a copyright lawsuit filed against the South Korean music group BTS and their agency, Big Hit Music. The US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia threw out the amended complaint on October 22 after the complainant failed to establish a valid case.

The Dismissed Case

Melissa Mays had filed the lawsuit on August 25, claiming the group used her unreleased songs without consent. Judge Leonie Brinkema had previously noted the original filing lacked valid legal grounds and gave the complainant until October 9 to revise the details. Although an amended complaint was submitted on October 8, it failed to address the court's issues, leading to the final dismissal in favour of BTS, Big Hit Music, HYBE and HYBE America.

Ongoing Legal Dispute

Despite this ruling, the group faces a separate copyright case in the US over their song 'Swim', which serves as the title track of their fifth studio album, Arirang. Composers Steve Cooper, John Sandler and Graylin Johnson filed this lawsuit on July 8 in the Central District of California, alleging the track copies their March 2025 demo of the same name. Big Hit Music has strongly denied the claims, stating that the song was created independently.

Context

Copyright lawsuits in the music industry often arise when independent creators or composers allege that popular artists have used their melodies, lyrics, or rhythms without permission. While agencies routinely deny these unilateral claims, legal battles over song ownership can take months or years to resolve through formal court proceedings.