A federal judge in the United States has thrown out a lawsuit alleging that pop superstar Taylor Swift plagiarized phrases from a Florida woman’s poems for over a dozen songs. The judge 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 find her songs significantly similar.
Marasco, who represented herself in the case, expressed disagreement with the ruling and plans to appeal. Lawyers for Swift and the other defendants, including Republic Records and Universal Music Group, have not yet provided any comments on the dismissal.
The allegations against Swift, 36, accused her of taking inspiration from Marasco’s poetry books for songs like “Down Bad” and “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart” from her 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 individual words.
The judge cited examples such as facing challenges, being “gaslighted,” and feeling “submerged” under water. This dismissal with prejudice means that Marasco cannot revise her complaint. Swift married Travis Kelce, also 36 and a prominent football player, at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan on July 3.