BTS Wins U.S. Copyright Lawsuit as Court Dismisses Amended Complaint

BTS has won a copyright infringement lawsuit filed against the group in the United States.

According to U.S. court records, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia dismissed an amended complaint filed by Melissa Mais against BTS, BIGHIT MUSIC, HYBE and HYBE America on Oct. 22. The court also entered judgment in favor of the defendants that day, bringing the case to a close.

Mais filed the lawsuit on Aug. 25, claiming that BTS and the related companies had used her unreleased song without permission. However, she reportedly failed to identify which BTS song had allegedly infringed on her copyright or provide sufficient evidence to support her claims.

Judge Leonie Brinkema dismissed the original complaint on Sept. 18 "for failure to state plausible causes of action." The court gave Mais an opportunity to amend her complaint and set a deadline of Oct. 9.

Mais submitted an amended complaint on Oct. 8, one day before the deadline. However, the court dismissed the revised complaint on Oct. 22 and entered judgment in favor of BTS and the other defendants.

Separately, BTS is involved in another copyright dispute over "SWIM," the title track from its fifth studio album, "ARIRANG."

On July 8, American songwriters Steve Cooper, Jon Sandler and Greylyn Johnson filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, alleging that "SWIM" infringed on their copyright.

The three songwriters allege that the song bears substantial similarities to a demo of the same name that they completed in March 2025. They submitted a musicologist's analysis pointing to similarities in melody, chorus, harmony, rhythm and lyrics. They are seeking damages and a share of the revenue.

HYBE, BIGHIT MUSIC and people involved in producing the song are named as defendants. The BTS members themselves were not named as defendants.

BIGHIT MUSIC rejected the allegations at the time. "The plaintiffs' claims are one-sided," the agency said. "'SWIM' was created independently." The agency also said it would respond firmly through legal proceedings.

The dismissal of Mais' lawsuit does not constitute a ruling on the copyright infringement allegations involving "SWIM." The two cases involve different plaintiffs and claims, and the court has yet to rule on the "SWIM" dispute.

Meanwhile, BTS wrapped up the South American leg of its "ARIRANG" world tour with a concert in São Paulo, Brazil, on Oct. 31. The tour began in Bogotá, Colombia, and covered five cities with 14 sold-out shows, drawing a total of 853,000 fans, according to the agency.

BTS will continue its tour in Asia and Oceania, beginning with a concert in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on Nov. 19.