A lawsuit alleging that Taylor Swift copied phrases from a Florida woman’s poems for more than a dozen songs has been dismissed by a U.S. federal judge. The judge stated that the plaintiff, Kimberly Marasco, did not demonstrate that her poems were protected expressions or that Swift had access to the poems and that a reasonable person would find the songs substantially similar.
Marasco, who represented herself, expressed disagreement with the ruling and plans to appeal. Legal representatives for Swift and the other defendants, including Republic Records and Universal Music Group, did not provide immediate comments on the matter.
The accusations against Swift, 36, included claims of using details from Marasco’s poetry books in 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 determined that any similarities between Marasco’s poems and Swift’s songs were limited to unprotectable ideas, themes, metaphors, and individual words.
The judge cited examples such as facing challenges, being “gaslighted,” and feeling “submerged” underwater. This dismissal with prejudice indicates that Marasco cannot revise her complaint. The wedding of Swift and Travis Kelce, also 36, took place at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan on July 3.
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