Bloomberg Law
Oct. 30, 2019, 8:30 AM

Taylor Swift Ruling Could ‘Open Floodgates’ For Copyright Suits

Kyle Jahner
Kyle Jahner
IP Reporter

A newly revived copyright lawsuit against Taylor Swift in the Ninth Circuit could prompt a wave of questionable lawsuits because it shows how rarely courts can use creativity to judge infringement claims, some attorneys say.

The court reinstated claims that Swift’s refrain of “Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play / And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate” in her 2014 hit “Shake It Off” ripped off Sean Hall and Nathan Butler’s 2001 song, which features the lyrics “Playas, they gonna play / And haters, they gonna hate.”

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth ...

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