US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia dismissed Melissa Mays’ complaint against BTS.
Mays had alleged that BTS and their team used her unreleased songs without consent.
A separate copyright lawsuit over BTS song "SWIM" is still pending in the Central District of California.
BTS Win Copyright Case As US Court Dismisses Lawsuit Filed Against The Group And Their Agency
The court ruling favoured BTS, Big Hit Music, HYBE and HYBE America in the copyright dispute
Summary
BTS and Big Hit Music have won the dismissal of a copyright lawsuit in Virginia. Star News reported that the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia threw out Melissa Mays’ amended complaint on October 22. The ruling went to BTS, Big Hit Music, HYBE and HYBE America.
A separate US case over the song "SWIM" is still ongoing.
BTS win major legal battle
Mays, in the lawsuit filed on August 25, said BTS and their team used her unreleased songs without permission. The court found she offered no concrete evidence for that allegation and did not show the group’s music came from her work. The lawsuit had already faltered in September.
Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that Mays’ first filing lacked a legal basis and set an October 9 deadline for her to amend it with more detail. Mays filed her revised complaint on October 8. The court said it still failed to fix the problems in her earlier filing. It then dismissed the case and sided with BTS, Big Hit Music, HYBE and HYBE America.
BTS' separate "SWIM" lawsuit
Another case of the Korean boy band is still pending. Composers Steve Cooper, John Sandler and Graylin Johnson filed a copyright lawsuit in the Central District of California on July 8. They alleged that the BTS song "SWIM" used elements from their copyrighted work.
The composers said the song matches a demo they finished in March 2025, which carried the same title. They have reportedly submitted a musicologist’s analysis to support that claim. The composers pointed to the melody, chorus, harmony, rhythm and lyrics, and argued that the overlap amounted to copyright infringement. They are seeking damages and a share of the profits from the BTS song.
Big Hit response
Big Hit Music has rejected the allegation. Responding to the lawsuit, the label stated: “This is merely a unilateral claim by the plaintiff. SWIM is a song created independently.”
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"SWIM" is from BTS’ comeback album Arirang, their fifth studio album.
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