Judge dismisses copyright lawsuit against Taylor Swift

A federal judge has dismissed a copyright lawsuit against Taylor Swift, ruling that a Florida poet’s claims of plagiarism were based on unprotectable ideas and common phrases. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon issued the dismissal with prejudice on Monday, July 6, 2026, ending the legal dispute brought by self-published poet Kimberly Marasco.

Marasco, who represented herself, had accused Swift and other defendants, including Republic Records and Universal Music Group, of copying phrases and themes from her poetry for more than a dozen songs. The lawsuit spanned Swift’s albums from “Lover” through “The Tortured Poets Department,” specifically naming tracks such as “Down Bad,” “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart,” “The Man,” and “Mastermind.”

In a detailed ruling, Judge Cannon found that Marasco failed to identify any protectable expression that was copied. The judge stated the alleged similarities consisted only of basic ideas, ubiquitous metaphors, and isolated words. Examples cited in the ruling included themes like “confronting adversity,” “being gaslighted,” and metaphors such as “being submerged under water” or “tears as weapons.” Common words like “tears,” “fire,” “love,” and...