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Taylor Swift Denies Stealing Songs Amid Copyright Lawsuit

A staffer from the Trump administration said she was warned against listening to Taylor Swift at the White House. Feature China/Barcroft Media via Getty Images

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Taylor Swift Denies Stealing Songs Amid Copyright Lawsuit

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Taylor Swift has filed a sworn declaration in response to a lawsuit brought against her by the girl group 3LW.

The group claims that Swift ripped off parts of their year 2000 song “Playas Gon’ Play” for her 2014 hit “Shake It Off.”

In the declaration, Swift denies stealing music from other musicians and argues that the concept of “players” and “haters” is so common that it cannot be considered copyrightable.

She also claims that she had never heard of 3LW or their song before they sued her.

The lawsuit revolves around a few lines from each song. In 3LW’s “Playas Gon’ Play,” the group sings “playas, they gonna play” and “haters, they gonna hate.”

Meanwhile, Swift sings in “Shake It Off” the lyrics “cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play and the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate.”

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Swift argues that these phrases are so common that they cannot be considered original or copyrightable.

A federal judge agreed with Swift’s argument in 2018 and threw out 3LW’s case. However, another judge reinstated the lawsuit in 2019, stating that the two songs were too similar to be considered a coincidence. This is Swift’s last chance for a favorable ruling before the case goes to a jury trial.

In her declaration, Swift claims that she had never heard of 3LW or their song before they sued her. She says that she grew up listening to a variety of music and that the concept of “players” and “haters” was common in the media and in her daily life.

She even mentions wearing an Urban Outfitters shirt with the phrase “haters gonna hate” in 2013.

Swift’s attorney has also spoken out against the lawsuit, calling it “particularly baseless.”

He argues that it is not uncommon for successful songs to be met with litigants hoping for a payout, but that 3LW’s claim is particularly weak.

He also points out that Swift had no way of knowing about the group or their song before the lawsuit was filed.

If the lawsuit goes to a jury trial, it is likely that Swift will be able to prove that she did not intentionally steal from 3LW.

However, the lawsuit highlights the issue of copyright infringement in the music industry and the challenges of determining what is considered original and what is considered common knowledge.

This is not the only lawsuit that Swift is currently facing. She is also being sued by two songwriters who claim that she stole parts of their song “Playas Gon’ Play” for her hit “Shake It Off.”

The songwriters, L. Russell Brown and Sandy Linzer, argue that they wrote the song in 1979 and that it was recorded by the girl group 3LW in 2000. They claim that Swift’s song is too similar to their own to be a coincidence.

This is not the first time that Swift has been accused of copyright infringement.

In 2015, she was sued by the songwriter Jesse Braham, who claimed that she stole parts of his 2013 song “Haters Gone Hate” for her hit “Shake It Off.”

Braham demanded $42 million in damages, but the case was dismissed by a federal judge in 2017.

The issue of copyright infringement in the music industry is not limited to Taylor Swift. Many other successful artists have faced similar lawsuits, including Dua Lipa and Lizzo.

Dua Lipa is currently being sued by two different groups who claim that she stole parts of their songs for her hit “Levitating.”

Lizzo is being sued by the songwriter Justin Raisen, who claims that she stole parts of his song “Health

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