A federal judge in the United States has thrown out a lawsuit that alleged pop superstar Taylor Swift had plagiarized phrases from a Florida woman’s poems for a number of songs. The judge, Aileen Cannon, ruled that the plaintiff, Kimberly Marasco, did not demonstrate that her poems were protectable expressions or that Swift had access to them and that an average person would consider the songs to be substantially similar.
Marasco, who represented herself, disagreed with the decision and plans to appeal. Legal representatives for Swift and other defendants, such as Republic Records and Universal Music Group, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The lawsuit accused Swift, 36, of taking details from Marasco’s poetry books for songs like “Down Bad” and “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart” from Swift’s 2024 album “The Tortured Poets Department.” However, the judge concluded that any similarities between Marasco’s poems and Swift’s songs were limited to unprotectable ideas, themes, metaphors, and isolated words.
Judge Cannon highlighted instances from the case, including themes of facing challenges, being “gaslighted,” and feeling “submerged” underwater. This dismissal follows a previous version of Marasco’s lawsuit being rejected in September.
The ruling with prejudice means that Marasco cannot revise her complaint. The judge’s office is located in Fort Pierce, Florida. Taylor Swift tied the knot with Travis Kelce, also 36, the renowned football player, at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan on July 3.
