Three songwriters who accused BTS of plagiarizing their song in “SWIM” have dropped their lawsuit in a U.S. court.
Billboard reported that the plaintiffs’ attorneys filed a request on November 4th asking the court to dismiss the entire lawsuit.
Songwriters Steve Cooper, Jon Sandler and Greylyn Johnson filed the lawsuit in July 2026, claiming that BTS’ “SWIM” closely resembled a demo track they had also titled “SWIM.” They named HYBE, HYBE America, BigHit Music, and the song’s credited writers and producers, including Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, as defendants.
BTS leader RM was among the song’s co-writers, but the plaintiffs did not name BTS or any of its members as defendants.
BigHit Music previously denied the allegations when the lawsuit was filed. In July, the agency stated, “The lawsuit is based solely on the plaintiffs’ unilateral claims. We clearly maintain that ‘SWIM’ is an independently created work and will take strong legal action throughout the proceedings.”
Billboard also reported that the case was still in its early stages when the plaintiffs withdrew it. HYBE’s legal team had not yet filed a formal response to the complaint.
Released in March 2026, “SWIM” became a global hit and topped the Billboard Hot 100, the magazine’s main U.S. singles chart. The lawsuit’s withdrawal brings the four-month legal dispute over the song to a close.
>> BTS Hit ‘Swim’ Faces Copyright Lawsuit Claiming It Was Copied From Unreleased Demo, Agency Responds
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