Taylor Swift has won a federal court ruling dismissing a copyright lawsuit brought by self-published poet Kimberly Marasco, who claimed the singer copied phrases and ideas from her poems for songs across several recent albums.
PEOPLE reported that U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon granted Swift’s motion to dismiss on July 6.
The case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning Marasco cannot amend and refile the complaint in the same case.
The court found that Marasco had not shown enough to move forward with claims that Swift copied protectable expression from her poetry.
The Judge Said the Claims Relied on Common Ideas
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Marasco alleged that Swift copied lyrics from her poems for more than a dozen songs on Lover, Folklore, Evermore, Midnights and The Tortured Poets Department. The court rejected the argument that the alleged similarities were enough to support a copyright infringement claim.
According to PEOPLE, Judge Cannon found that the material Marasco pointed to involved basic ideas, common observations, short phrases and familiar metaphors. The ruling said copyright law does not protect broad themes or isolated words simply because they appear in both works.
A writer can protect original expression, but not general concepts such as heartbreak, rain, being hurt, feeling trapped or surviving adversity.
The Lawsuit Named Recent Swift Songs
Reuters reported that Marasco accused Swift of copying from her poetry books for songs including “Down Bad” and “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart,” both from The Tortured Poets Department.
The judge found that Marasco had not shown protectable expression, access or substantial similarity. Reuters reported that Cannon said any commonality between the poems and Swift’s songs consisted only of unprotectable ideas, themes, metaphors and isolated words.
The decision also noted that some of the alleged overlaps involved ideas such as confronting adversity, being gaslighted or being submerged under water. Those kinds of concepts can appear in many songs, poems, novels and films without giving one writer ownership over the theme itself.
The Case Was Dismissed With Prejudice
PEOPLE reported that the judge said Marasco had already been warned that her second amended complaint would be her final opportunity. Reuters reported that Marasco represented herself and said by email that she disagreed with the decision and planned to appeal.
Attorneys for Swift, Republic Records and Universal Music Group did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
This Was Not Marasco’s First Failed Lawsuit Against Swift
PEOPLE noted that Marasco previously sued Taylor Swift Productions in 2024 over some similar allegations. That earlier case was dismissed in September 2025, after Swift’s attorneys argued that Marasco could not claim ownership over common words and phrases.
In the latest case, the court again found that the alleged overlaps were too general to sustain a copyright claim.
Reuters reported that Cannon said some of Marasco’s own descriptions characterized the alleged copying as paraphrases, rephrases or minor word substitutions, rather than direct substantial similarity.