Heavy Countermeasures: BTS Swim Plagiarism Lawsuit Denied by Big Hit
Global music powerhouse Big Hit Music has officially issued a stern legal warning in response to sudden intellectual property theft allegations raised overseas. On July 10, the entertainment label broke its silence to address a highly controversial copyright infringement complaint filed in a United States federal court regarding the group’s latest chart-topping smash hit.
The ongoing corporate tension revolves directly around the BTS Swim plagiarism lawsuit, targeting the critically acclaimed lead single of the group’s monumental fifth full-length studio album, Arirang.
The legal complaint formally names massive entertainment entities as direct defendants, listing HYBE, HYBE America, Big Hit Music, and seven individual co-writers credited on the production of the track, including Ryan Tedder, the prominent frontman of the American pop-rock band OneRepublic.
Notably, while BTS’s own multitalented leader RM is officially registered as an active co-writer on the copyright credits of “SWIM” due to his lyrical and melodic contributions, neither he nor any other individual members of the global boy band were named as personal defendants in the active court filing.
The label further signaled its readiness to engage in a rigorous courtroom defense to protect the integrity of its artists, concluding, “We plan to respond with maximum firmness through all available legal proceedings in the near future.”
Industry insiders have pointed out that the plaintiffs’ argument rests heavily on proving access, claiming they circulated their original demo to multiple influential industry contacts back in March of the previous year, which they argue may have eventually filtered down to the production team of the Arirang track. To support their claims, the plaintiffs commissioned musicologist Alexander Stewart—who previously participated in high-profile infringement cases against Ed Sheeran and Led Zeppelin that were ultimately dismissed—who claimed to have identified overlaps in the chorus hook harmony, texture, and rhythm.
The physical album has already rewritten global music history by recording an unprecedented 4.16 million copies sold within just the very first week of its commercial release, cementing its status as the definitive musical event of the fiscal year.
