Taylor Swift Hits Back Against a Plagiarism Lawsuit
Taylor Swift has long been targeted by those in the public who aim to undermine independent women. This year alone, however, Swift has faced an onslaught of slanderous accusations that could potentially destroy her career. While it can be a cruel way to treat someone, the singer will not let it bring her down.
She’s taking action against a plagiarism lawsuit and doing it with flair. The pop star has filed a declaration in court against two songwriters who claim she stole lyrics from their 2001 song “Playas Gon’ Play.”
Swift asserted in her court document that she had never heard the song or 3LW until after the lawsuit was filed. Although familiar with the phrase “haters gonna hate,” she didn’t realize it was taken from another song. At a performance in 2013, she donned a T-shirt reading “haters gonna hate” and was an admirer of Eric Church who performed a song featuring that same phrasing.
Hall and Butler sued Swift in 2017, alleging she had stolen the chorus of their song “Playas Gon’ Play” from Swift’s 2014 hit single “Shake It Off.” Although dismissed in 2018, an appeals court revived the case in December 2021 and refused to dismiss it, setting it for a jury trial.
Swift, however, is seeking to avoid a trial by asking for a summary judgment. Her lawyers contend that no one has the exclusive right to use an expression so commonly used in popular culture and she claims her song was heavily influenced by other songs.
Furthermore, she noted that her parents did not allow her to watch Television until she was 13 years old, and she hadn’t listened to radio until then either, meaning she wouldn’t have encountered 3LW when they released “Playas Gon’ Play” in 2001.
She stated in her statement that she took inspiration from many sources when crafting the song, including phrases from movies and TV shows, words her classmates used, as well as some of her favorite songs.
Online, you’ll likely come across hundreds of T-shirts featuring the phrase “haters gonna hate” in various contexts. It has become a catchphrase featured in music from Lil Reese to Mick Jenkins and has likely been around since forever.
Hip hop culture has given birth to this ubiquitous phrase that’s now part of the standard English dictionary. It’s often used as an insult or response to sexual discrimination, but can also be found in other genres like rap or country music.
It appears likely that Taylor Swift will prevail in her legal battle and come out on top. However, that doesn’t mean she won’t have to endure the slander and other negative press this year. Although this situation could potentially ruin her career, Taylor is determined to fight back and secure justice for herself.