A federal judge ruled Thursday (Dec. 9) that Taylor Swift must face a jury trial over accusations she stole the lyrics to “Shake It Off” from another song that also references “playas” and “haters.”
U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald refused Swift’s request to toss out the case, ruling that a jury might eventually find that her 2014 chart-topping hit had infringed a copyright to “Playas Gon’ Play,” a track released in 2001 by the group 3LW.
Though there are “some noticeable differences” between the two songs, the judge said there were “enough objective similarities” that he could not dismiss the case himself.
The judge said Swift’s defense would present “a strong closing argument” for an eventual jury trial, but that she would still need to face one.
The case against Swift was filed in 2017 by Sean Hall and Nathan Butler, the songwriters who wrote “Playas Gon’ Play.”
“Shake It Off” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 2014 and spent four weeks atop the chart.
The song ultimately spent 50 weeks on the Hot 100, tied with Swift’s “You Belong With Me” for her longest-charting single.
