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[Annie]

Billboard: Taylor Swift Must Face Trial in 'Shake It Off' Copyright Lawsuit

A federal judge ruled Thursday (Dec. 9) that Taylor Swift must face a jury trial over accusations she stole the lyrics to "Shake It Off" from another song that also references "playas" and "haters."

U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald refused Swift's request to toss out the case, ruling that a jury might eventually find that her 2014 chart-topping hit had infringed a copyright to "Playas Gon' Play," a track released in 2001 by the group 3LW.

Though there are "some noticeable differences" between the two songs, the judge said there were "enough objective similarities" that he could not dismiss the case himself. The judge said Swift's defense would present "a strong closing argument" for an eventual jury trial, but that she would still need to face one.

The case against Swift was filed in 2017 by Sean Hall and Nathan Butler, the songwriters who wrote "Playas Gon' Play." In the 2001 song, the line was "playas, they gonna play" and "haters, they gonna hate"; in Swift's track, she sings, "'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play and the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate."

[...]

Hall and Butler's case floundered early. In 2018, Judge Fitzgerald dismissed the lawsuit on the grounds that Hall and Butler's lyrics were merely "short phrases that lack the modicum of originality and creativity required for copyright protection." The judge cited 13 different earlier songs that featured similar phrases, including "Playa Hater" by The Notorious B.I.G. and "Man U Luv to Hate" by Sir Mix-A-Lot.

But a year later, a federal appeals court reversed that ruling. The court said Fitzgerald had tossed the case too early and that "Playas Gon' Play" was sufficiently creative for copyright protection. The ruling sent the case back to Judge Fitzgerald for new proceedings.

Back in lower court, Swift again moved to escape the case, asking the judge to grant her so-called summary judgment – an immediate ruling that she had not infringed any copyrights. But on Thursday, Judge Fitzgerald refused.

Read more:

https://www.billboard.com/business/legal/taylor-swift-trial-shake-it-off-copyright-lawsuit-1235007922/

Lawsuit: https://www.scribd.com/document/546065422/Hall-v-Swift

[Annie]

What do you guys think? Is it enough?

[Nonchalantboi]

This is so stupid 

[Freemala Harris]

View this post on Instagram

[I. Hate. Monica.]

take this bitch to the cleaners 

[Ulysses]

That shit isn't even CLOSE, but I still hope Taylor's mediocre ass loses

[Demetri Collier Electronics 🤴🏾]

This is so stupid 

!!!! It was a play on their words to me. I could see if she stole who hook or something.

[Demetri Collier Electronics 🤴🏾]

That shit isn't even CLOSE, but I still hope Taylor's mediocre ass loses

Tay Tay will continue to throw out more hits.

[Hatsumomo]

Her best song 

[Ulysses]

That shit isn't even CLOSE, but I still hope Taylor's mediocre ass loses

Tay Tay will continue to throw out more hits.

....and sound like shit while doing it

[Demetri Collier Electronics 🤴🏾]

That shit isn't even CLOSE, but I still hope Taylor's mediocre ass loses

Tay Tay will continue to throw out more hits.

....and sound like shit while doing it

N

[klappa.]

cvcbccbvvvbbbc this is a REACH

but sue that ho !!

[Kalifornia.]

Yeah this is a reach

[CHOKE]

Am getting little tired
of your broken promisthes , promisthes

[bby ddy]