Attorneys for songwriters Steve Cooper, Jon Sandler and Greylyn Johnson filed a request on November 4 to dismiss their copyright lawsuit over BTS’ song “Swim,” according to Billboard. The request seeks to end the case in its entirety, though it remains unclear why the songwriters are withdrawing it or whether the parties reached a settlement.
The songwriters filed the lawsuit in July, alleging that “Swim” copied elements of an unreleased demo of the same name that they completed in March 2025. Their complaint said they circulated the demo to music industry contacts, including executives at Artist Publishing Group, whom they alleged passed it to people involved in creating the BTS track. The plaintiffs also cited an analysis by a forensic musicologist who concluded that elements of the song had been copied from their demo.
The defendants named in the case included BTS’ label HYBE, HYBE America, Big Hit Music and several songwriters, including OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder. BTS members were not named as defendants. Big Hit Music denied the allegations when the lawsuit was filed and said “Swim” had been created independently.
BTS released “Swim” in March 2026 as the lead single from their comeback album, “ARIRANG.” The track debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The case was still in its early stages: HYBE’s attorneys had not formally responded to the allegations, and the withdrawal does not determine whether copyright infringement occurred. Billboard reported that neither side had immediately responded to requests for comment.
Sources: Just Jared.