LOS ANGELES, Nov. 13 (UPI) — Taylor Swift fans know that the pop star has a long list of hit singles that include quirky lyrics that are fun to reiterate on social media or with friends.
But never in their wildest dreams did they think the hailed songwriter would be on the receiving end of a copyright lawsuit for one of them.
Even the Grammy award-winning artist may not have known trouble would come walking in when she released her hit “Shake It Off” in 2014.
In October TMZ reported that a small-time R&B singer, Jesse Braham, was suing Swift for $42 million in damages and writing credit over the lyrics “haters gonna hate” in her leading tune from her 1989 album.
Braham claimed that Swift stole the phrase from his 2013 song “Haters gone Hate,” which he says he copyrighted back in February.
However, a California U.S. District Court Judge wasn’t buying it and dismissed the copyright lawsuit on Nov. 10.
Judge Gail Standish even quoted some of Swift’s own lyrics to draft her dismissal, writing: “At present, the Court is not saying that Braham can never, ever, ever get his case back in court. But, for now, we have got problems, and the Court is not sure Braham can solve them.”
Later she states: “As currently drafted, the Complaint has a blank space – one that requires Braham to do more than write his name. And, upon consideration of the Court’s explanation … Braham may discover that mere pleading BandAids will not fix the bullet holes in his case. At least for the moment, Defendants have shaken off this lawsuit.”
Fans noted that the judge used lines from Swift’s “Blank Space”, “We Are Never Getting Back Together,” “Bad Blood” and “Shake It Off” to help make her point.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Swift currently has copyrights to “This sick beat,” another often quotes line in “Shake It Off.