Taylor Swift Wins Copyright Case as Judge Dismisses Poet’s Lawsuit
Key Developments:
- A U.S. federal judge dismissed the copyright lawsuit against Taylor Swift with prejudice.
- The court ruled that the alleged similarities involved unprotected ideas, themes, metaphors and common phrases rather than copyrightable expression.
- Plaintiff Kimberly Marasco said she intends to appeal the ruling after the dismissal.
Los Angeles (Global News) — July 9, 2026: Pop superstar Taylor Swift has secured a legal victory after a U.S. federal court dismissed a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by self-published poet Kimberly Marasco, who alleged that lyrics from several of Swift’s songs copied elements of her poetry.
The lawsuit claimed that songs released across Swift’s albums, including Lover, Folklore, Evermore, Midnights and The Tortured Poets Department, infringed on Marasco’s copyrighted poems. However, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that the alleged similarities involved broad ideas, common metaphors and isolated words that are not protected under U.S. copyright law.
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In the written order, Judge Cannon stated, “These are quintessential themes, concepts, and isolated words—exactly the kind of material copyright law does not protect.”
Court rules in favor of Taylor Swift in the Swift vs. Marasco copyright lawsuit. CREDIT: msn.com
The judge further concluded: “The Court concludes that Plaintiff’s poems do not contain protectable expression and that, regardless, Plaintiff has failed to plausibly plead copying.” The dismissal was issued with prejudice, meaning the same complaint cannot be refiled in its current form.
According to court filings, Marasco alleged that Swift had copied themes and phrases appearing in more than a dozen songs. The court, however, found no evidence demonstrating that Swift had access to the poems or that an ordinary observer would consider the works substantially similar. The ruling emphasized that copyright law protects original creative expression rather than common literary themes, everyday language or widely used metaphors.
Florida-based author and poet Kimberly Marasco sued Taylor Swift for US$7 million.
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Swift’s legal team had previously described the lawsuit as “absurd and legally baseless,” arguing that concepts such as betrayal, fire, rain, love and similar expressions are too generic to qualify for copyright protection.
Taylor Swift attends the 55th annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on Thursday, June 11, 2026, in New York. CREDIT: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP.
Following the ruling, Marasco indicated that she disagrees with the court’s decision and plans to appeal the dismissal. Reuters reported that she intends to challenge the judgment in a higher court.
The decision marks the latest legal victory for Swift in intellectual property litigation and reinforces long-established copyright principles distinguishing protected creative expression from general ideas, themes and commonly used language. Legal experts note that U.S. copyright law protects the original way an idea is expressed rather than the underlying concept itself, a principle that has shaped numerous music copyright cases over the years.
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