A copyright infringement lawsuit targeting HYBE and its publishing arm has landed in U.S. federal court, raising immediate concerns for labels, publishers, and rights holders about the integrity of demo submissions in the Black music and urban radio sectors. Three Los Angeles songwriters filed the complaint on July 8 in the US District Court for the Central District of California, alleging that BTS’s global hit “SWIM” unlawfully reproduced a composition they wrote and recorded as a demo years prior. The suit specifically names HYBE, Artist Publishing Group (APG), and several credited co-writers as defendants, seeking an injunction, damages, and a share of profits from the track that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Alleged Demo Theft and Publishing Chain
The plaintiffs, Steve Cooper, Jon Sandler, and Greylyn Johnson, claim they completed their demo composition and began circulating it to industry contacts to gauge interest before the lawsuit was filed. According to the complaint, APG representatives listened to the recording and shared it with others, including a songwriter signed to APG who is now a credited co-writer on “SWIM.” A listening report from a music-sharing platform attached to the filing indicates that the plaintiffs’ track was played by these representatives. The lawsuit further alleges that the plaintiffs sent the recording to Noreen Prunier-Winans, described as head of A&R and publishing at ATG Group, who subsequently shared it with other songwriters and producers. The plaintiffs assert that after repeated listens, they concluded the BTS track copied their work and engaged a musicologist to compare the two songs.
Expert Analysis and Third Suit Against HYBE
In a preliminary report quoted in the complaint, the musicologist stated that their research determined the versions of the songs titled “Swim” contain significant similarities and that elements in the BTS track were unequivocally taken from the plaintiffs’ song. The expert opinion ruled out independent creation, concluding that copying is the inescapable conclusion and that the BTS track would not exist in its present form without the pervasive influence of the plaintiffs’ work. The plaintiffs registered their composition with the U.S. Copyright Office and are seeking an injunction against further use of the track, along with damages and a share of profits. In the alternative, they request credit as co-writers of nearly all of “SWIM” and nearly all of the profits it has generated. This filing marks the third U.S. copyright complaint filed against HYBE, following similar suits over NewJeans’ 2024 single “How Sweet” and the group’s 2023 track “Ditto.” The allegations have yet to be tested in court, and the defendants were contacted prior to filing in an attempt to resolve the dispute but either did not respond or could not reach a resolution.
For editorial consideration and industry coverage inquiries, contact Radio Facts.
