BTS's SWIM copyright lawsuit takes unexpected turn as three US songwriters drop all claims

BTS's hit song SWIM is no longer facing a copyright infringement lawsuit from three American songwriters after they voluntarily withdrew their claims, bringing the legal dispute to an end.

According to a November 5 report from Billboard, lawyers representing US songwriters Steve Cooper, Jon Sandler, and Greylyn Johnson submitted court documents requesting the complete dismissal of their lawsuit concerning SWIM, the title track of BTS's fifth full-length album, ARIRANG.

The development comes nearly four months after the songwriters filed their complaint on July 8, 2026, in the US District Court for the Central District of California.

At the time, the three songwriters alleged that BTS's SWIM contained similarities to an unreleased demo of the same name that they had completed in March 2025.

They claimed that the two songs shared similarities in melody, chorus, harmony, rhythm, and lyrics. They also submitted an analysis from a musicologist to support their allegations and sought financial compensation and a share of the song's revenue.

However, BTS's agency, BigHit Music, firmly denied the allegations.

"These are only one-sided claims from the plaintiffs. 'SWIM' was independently created," the agency stated.

The three songwriters have now requested the withdrawal of the entire lawsuit, ending their pursuit of the copyright infringement claims.

The withdrawal does not represent a court ruling on whether copyright infringement occurred.

The latest development follows another favorable legal outcome for BTS in the United States.

On October 22, a federal court in Virginia dismissed an amended copyright complaint filed by Melissa Mays against BTS, BigHit Music, HYBE, and HYBE America.

Mays had previously alleged that her unreleased music was used without permission. However, the court determined that her complaint did not meet the necessary legal requirements, even after she was given an opportunity to revise it.

With the separate case dismissed and the three US songwriters withdrawing their claims concerning SWIM, two copyright disputes involving BTS's music have reached their conclusions through different legal processes.

The latest withdrawal marks a significant development for BTS and BigHit Music following months of copyright allegations surrounding SWIM.