Spotlight
Judge dismisses Swift’s case, uses her song lyrics
A CALIFORNIA judge has thrown out a lawsuit filed against Taylor Swift in a cheekily worded ruling that quotes lyrics from the pop star’s songs. Earlier this month, R&B artist Jessie Braham issued a $42million lawsuit against Swift, accusing the singer of lifting his lyrics for her hit “Shake It Off.” Braham alleged that although “Shake It Off” bore no melodic resemblance to his song “Haters Gone Hate,” Swift took the distinctive lyrics from the chorus of his song, which appears on his album.
The US district court judge Gail Standish took the opportunity to show off her knowledge of Swift’s repertoire. While throwing out the suit, Standish invoked lyrics from Swift’s other hits and said, “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,” Standish wrote.
“As currently drafted, the Complaint has a blank space — one that requires Braham to do more than write his name.”
Standish concluded: “At least for the moment, Defendants have shaken off this lawsuit.”