Big Hit Music - the management company of BTS under Hybe Group - officially spoke out about the copyright dispute related to the song "Swim", the main single in the album "Arirang". The company representative affirmed that "Swim" is an independently composed work, and said that the contents in the lawsuit only reflect the views of the plaintiff and there is no legal basis to conclude that the song infringes copyright. Big Hit Music said it will protect its rights through legal procedures.
The response was issued after three American musicians including Steve Cooper, Jon Sandler and Greylyn Johnson filed a lawsuit with a federal court in California (USA). They argued that "Swim" had many similarities with a similarly named demo they composed earlier.
According to the lawsuit file, the three musicians started making the song from the beginning of 2025 and completed the demo in March of the same year. After completion, the recording was shared with many partners in the music industry through a data exchange platform for composers.
The plaintiff argued that during circulation, the demo may have been accessed by people involved in composing BTS's "Swim". This is considered one of the grounds for them to make accusations that the Korean group's song illegally uses materials from the original work.
To consolidate the argument, the three musicians hired music analyst Alexander Stewart to compare the two songs. According to the content of the lawsuit, the professional report points out many similarities in the main melody, harmony, sound structure, tempo and some details in the lyrics.
Based on this analysis result, the plaintiff requested the court to determine that "Swim" infringed copyright. They requested to stop commercial exploitation of the song, and at the same time requested compensation for damages and refund of the profits allegedly generated from the song.
In case the court does not accept the above requests, the three musicians wish to be recognized as co-authors of "Swim" and to enjoy the corresponding royalty revenue.
Notably, the lawsuit is not directly aimed at BTS members. The list of defendants includes Hybe, Hybe America, Big Hit Music and a number of international musicians participating in songwriting such as Derrick Milano, James Essien and Ryan Tedder. However, RM and producer Pdogg, although involved in the songwriting process, were not named in the lawsuit.
Up to now, the court has not yet issued any conclusions on the content of the case. The assessments stated in the lawsuit are just arguments from the plaintiff's side and will continue to be considered in the proceedings.
The incident attracted great public attention because "Swim" is the title track in the album "Arirang", marking BTS's comeback after the members successively completed their military service and resumed joint activities.
In recent years, copyright disputes in the international music industry have become increasingly common, especially with products with global influence. However, to determine whether a work infringes copyright or not, the court often has to consider many factors such as access to the original work, the degree of similarity between the two pieces of music as well as whether the details considered similar belong to common elements in musical composition.
Currently, Big Hit Music still maintains the position that "Swim" is an independent composition and will actively defend its point of view in court. Meanwhile, the plaintiff continues to pursue compensation claims as well as co-ownership rights for the song. The final outcome of the lawsuit will depend on the process of considering evidence and the court's ruling in the near future.
