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Someone Is Suing Taylor Swift Over Copyright Infringement Allegations (Again)

Someone Is Suing Taylor Swift Over Copyright Infringement Allegations (Again)

Aug 25, 2022   •   Meryl Medel

On the third anniversary of her album Lover, Taylor Swift is facing yet another suit over alleged copyright infringement. An author named Teresa La Dart is accusing the singer-songwriter of using elements allegedly lifted from her poetry book on the book that accompanied Swift’s Lover album. But does the case have any ground?

 

The alleged similarities

Filed on August 23, which is also the exact date of the album’s release anniversary, the infringement complaint claims that the singer lifted crucial elements from La Dart’s work to use not in the album, but in the book that accompanied the physical album.


It cites the following alleged similarities between Taylor Swift’s Lover and Teresa La Dart’s Lover (emphasis added):

  • “substantially the same format of a recollection of past years memorialized in a combination of written and pictorial components”
  • ”a substantially similar cover format, with the author photographed in a downward pose, and color scheme (pastel pinks and blues) with the same title”
  • a similar “introduction page formats with a similarly styled ‘Lover’ title, as well as an earlier photograph of the author in a nature setting and turned to the right and an accompanying forward with substantially similar greetings and wishes for the reader”
  • “substantially similar inner book design with interspersed photographs and writing throughout the body
  • “similar back cover formats”

In the complaint document, La Dart adds that she was not given “any credits” or “any monetary payments” for the elements that the pop singer allegedly lifted from her work. The author is demanding USD 1 million for damages, claiming Swift has gotten a lot of profit due to the album.

 

The question now is: are there really any grounds for the case? The case was filed on the very last day before the statute of limitations ends, so it seems to be a last gasp to try for a cash grab.

According to litigator and copyright expert Aaron Moss of website Copyright Lately, the complaint filed reads like “what you’d expect from a pleading filed on the last day before the statute runs and which is destined to be thrown out of court.”


While there is no claim about the contents being similar, it seems La Dart’s claims might not go anywhere either. “The idea of memorializing a series of recollections over a number of years by interspersing ‘written and pictorial components’ isn’t protectable,” Moss also tells Billboard. “If it were, this person might as well sue anyone who’s ever written a diary or made a scrapbook.”

Additionally, copyright laws don’t cover titles, and even if it did, several other written works have been published under the title “Lover”, with some even way before La Dart’s work was published.

Moss concludes that the case “should be thrown out on a motion to dismiss, if the plaintiff’s lawyer doesn’t think better of it and voluntarily withdraw the complaint first.”

 

A history of cases

Many have tried suing the singer over similar allegations. Last year , Taylor Swift was sued for trademark infringement when a Utah theme park named “Evermore” made claims over the title of her latest album.


The pop star was also accused — TWICE! — of plagiarism over the lyrics “players gonna play” and “haters gonna hate” from her hit single “Shake It Off”. First, she was accused by R&B singer Jesse Graham, then again by songwriters Sean Hall and Nathan Butler. Early this month, Taylor Swift filed her sworn declaration where she says that her song was “written entirely by me” and that she’d “never heard” of the song from which she was being accused of copying.

 

Swifties are quick to defend the singer

After hearing about the new case the singer is facing, her fans are quick to come to her defense. In fact, the Amazon page of La Dart’s book has already been flooded with negative reviews.

Taylor Swift Lover lawsuit
Screenshot from Amazon.com

Other Swifties took to social media to express their exasperation over what most of them believe is a “ridiculous” accusation.

Next time, a snake might be filing a lawsuit.

Or maybe a seagull?

There are so many ridiculous claims people might make in the future…

This Swiftie wants to flip the table on the complainant.

Well, maybe. Inflation is at an all-time high now after all.

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Meryl finds joy in music, movies, museums, and making her way around the world.

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