November 5, 2026 – Radio 854 Music News:

BTS ‘SWIM’ Copyright Lawsuit Dropped by Songwriters

BTS can put a copyright dispute behind them after three American songwriters withdraw their lawsuit over the group’s hit single ‘SWIM’.

The copyright lawsuit surrounding BTS’s chart-topping single SWIM has officially taken a major step towards closure, after three American songwriters requested the complete dismissal of their legal claims.

Songwriters Steve Cooper, Jon Sandler and Greylyn Johnson filed the lawsuit in July 2026, alleging that BTS’s song SWIM copied elements from an unreleased demo they had written and recorded under the same title.

The complaint named BTS’s management company HYBE, its American division HYBE America, BigHit Music and several credited songwriters, including former OneRepublic member Ryan Tedder. However, BTS and its individual members were not named as defendants.

The songwriters claimed that their original demo had been circulated among music industry contacts before the release of BTS’s version. They also presented an independent musicologist’s analysis, arguing that the two recordings shared substantial similarities.

BigHit Music strongly rejected the accusations from the beginning, describing them as one-sided and unsubstantiated. The company maintained that SWIM was independently created and promised to defend itself through the appropriate legal channels.

Now, according to reports published on November 5, the plaintiffs’ attorneys have filed paperwork requesting that the entire lawsuit be dismissed.

It remains unclear why the songwriters decided to withdraw their claims. No settlement has been publicly confirmed, and neither side has issued a detailed statement explaining the decision.

SWIM serves as the lead single from BTS’s fifth studio album, ARIRANG. Released in March 2026, the track debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the group’s seventh chart-topping single in the United States.

With the lawsuit now being withdrawn, BTS and HYBE can look forward to putting another copyright dispute behind them.

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