Report: Taylor Swift To Face Trial In 'Shake It Off' Copyright Lawsuit

Taylor Swift: Can't 'Shake Off' Court Date (Photo: ako photography / Shutterstock.com)

The case against TAYLOR SWIFT for copyright infringement on "Shake It Off" can proceed, according to a judge, who said the two songs have "noticeable differences" but "enough" similarities for a trial, according to a number of reports, including BILLBOARD. 

The case against Swift was filed in 2017 by SEAN HALL and NATHAN BUTLER, writers of "Playas Gon' Play," a 2001 song with the lines “playas, they gonna play” and “haters, they gonna hate”; in SWIFT's track, she sings, “‘Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play and the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate.”

“Even though there are some noticeable differences between the works, there are also significant similarities in word usage and sequence/structure,” the judge wrote. “Although Defendants’ experts strongly refute the implication that there are substantial similarities, the Court is not inclined to overly credit their opinions here.”

HALL and BUTLER'S attorney cheered the ruling, saying the court “did the right thing.”

The ruling sets the stage for a jury trial, but a date is not yet set for such a proceeding.

« see more Net News