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Taylor Swift copyright infringement lawsuit over 'Shake It Off' lyrics to proceed in court: report
Published September 04, 2020
A federal judge in Los Angeles has ruled that a copyright infringement lawsuit against Taylor Swift involving lyrics from her hit "Shake It Off" will carry on in court, according to a report.
The pop star's 2014 hit off her "1989" album was a huge success as it shot to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album also broke records after selling more than 1.2 million copies in its first week.
However, songwriters Sean Hall and Nathan Butler claimed back in 2017 that lyrics for the singer's catchy song was ripped from 3LW's 2001 single, "Playas Gon' Play," which features the lyrics, "Playas, they gonna play, and haters, they gonna hate.”
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According to Deadline, U.S. District Judge Michael Fitzgerald has ruled that Hall and Butler have "sufficiently alleged a protectable selection and arrangement or a sequence of creative expression." The federal judge added that their claim of Swift's copyright infringement is "similar enough" to not be dismissed.
Taylor Swift accepts the award for artist of the decade at the American Music Awards on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
It's a decision that comes three years after the same judge dismissed Hall and Butler's initial claims. He ruled that the lyrics "lacked sufficient originality to merit copyright protection," Deadline reported. An appeals court then overturned that decision in 2018.
The songwriters are seeking a portion of Swift's earnings from the song, which the outlet reported has sold more than 9 million copies since the lawsuit was filed.
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A rep for Swift did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment but have argued that the case is a "money grab."
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/taylor-swift-copyright-infringment-lawsuit-shake-it-off