Taylor Swift‘s highly anticipated Eras Tour movie has led to a $7 million lawsuit filed against the singer’s production company, Taylor Swift Productions, Inc., by Florida-based artist Kimberly Marasco. The lawsuit alleges copyright infringement, claiming that Swift’s music and visuals bear “creative elements” similar to Marasco’s work. Marasco specifically named songs and music videos from Swift’s albums Lover, Folklore, and Evermore in her legal filing.
Initially, Swift herself was included in the lawsuit, but Judge Aileen Cannon-who previously presided over one of Donald Trump’s classified documents cases-dismissed the claims against the singer without prejudice due to Marasco’s failure to file the lawsuit in a timely manner. This dismissal allows Marasco the option to refile against Swift in the future. However, claims against Taylor Swift Productions, Inc. remain active.
On January 28, attorneys for Swift’s production company filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that many of Marasco’s claims are “time-barred” under copyright law. Lawyers Aaron S. Blynn and Katherine Wright Morrone emphasized that copyright infringement claims must be filed within three years of the alleged infringement being discovered. They stated that Marasco can only pursue claims she became aware of after April 2021, whereas all the works cited in her lawsuit predate that timeframe.
Marasco alleges copyright violations in Swift’s Eras Tour film
In her defense, Marasco argued that she was previously unaware of any similarities between her work and Swift’s music because she “only listened to alternative rock.” Her filing stated, “Just because Taylor Swift is a very (well-known) singer, doesn’t mean that the Plaintiff was aware of the specific lyrics she sang as soon as she produced her albums.” She claimed her discovery of alleged infringement occurred after watching the Eras Tour movie in 2024, prompting her to research Swift’s earlier albums for further similarities.
Swift’s legal team countered this argument, asserting that Marasco would have been aware of any alleged infringement much earlier due to the widespread popularity and media coverage of Swift’s albums. “Each album release was covered by news and media outlets, are widely available on streaming platforms, and ‘have been exceedingly popular both domestically and abroad,'” they stated. The lawyers also called for dismissal with prejudice, arguing that Marasco’s claims remain unfounded.
Despite the legal drama, Swift appears unfazed in her personal life, maintaining her high-profile relationship with NFL star Travis Kelce. Meanwhile, Marasco has defended her position, emphasizing that her works are “unique” and not derived from other sources.