Not much is known yet about the details of last weekend’s wedding between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden. Recent news from Florida may indicate that the universe decided to send a gift that probably wasn’t on their wedding registry.
On July 6, 2026, Judge Aileen Cannon of the Southern District of Florida dismissed a $25 million intellectual property lawsuit against Swift, Universal Music Group, Inc. (UMGI), and Republic Records. The complaint, a pro se filing by Florida poet Kimberly Marasco, had accused Swift of copying material from Marasco’s poetry books to use as lyrics in her songs. Of the six grounds to dismiss offered by the defendants, Judge Cannon agreed that Marasco had failed to plausibly plead copying and dismissed the suit with prejudice, closing the case and ending this legal path.
In dismissing the second such lawsuit from Marasco against the defendants (although Swift had been dropped from the first suit after Marasco failed to serve her with the complaint), Judge Cannon cited Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly in rejecting the poet’s claims that Swift’s lyrics in songs like “The Man” and “The Great War” were substantially similar to “Ordinary Citizen” and “The Fire,” works in Marasco’s two poetry books. The judge also rejected Marasco’s arguments that Swift violated her IP rights for protectable expressions, ruling that the metaphors in question, such as being gaslighted or using fire and fuel to represent desire, were universally recognized.
Bad Blood, Indeed
At this point, what superlative hasn’t been used to describe Swift and her unrivaled success? As one of the most successful musical lyricists, composers, and performers in history, she continues to set and shatter records for sales of albums like “Folklore” and “Lover,” music streams, and awards like her unmatched four Grammys for Album of the Year. Her Eras Tour earned over $2 billion in revenue, and the subsequent movie, filmed during her Los Angeles performances, became the highest-grossing concert film ever. She married Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce during the July 4th weekend.
As will likely be the case for anyone bringing a lawsuit against Swift, Marasco is much less well-known. She wrote, “Dealing with a Chronic Illness: Vestibular Neuritis” and “Fallen from Grace” (later renamed “Songs of the Unsung”), both of which contain numerous poems. When asked by Judge Cannon about her works, Marasco stated that “approximately 300 copies” of “Songs of the Unsung” had sold globally, offered no sales figures for her other book, and admitted that neither was being “presently marketed.”
Regardless of the limited exposure, Marasco’s suit contended that Swift was exposed to her poems and filched ideas and concepts for her own songs. In the amended second complaint, which the defense called a “shotgun pleading,” Marasco provided a dozen examples highlighting what she considered to be Swift's theft of her intellectual property. Judge Cannon wasn’t convinced by her claims.
It’s Like Deja Vu All Over Again
As in the previously dismissed lawsuit, Judge Cannon didn’t find that Marasco had presented sufficient examples of copyright infringement under the U.S. Code, instead labeling them as “ideas, metaphors, contexts, and themes.” She reiterated that Marasco had repeatedly failed to demonstrate theft of protectable material, and also pointed out that the plaintiff had hedged on some of her counts by describing the alleged thievery as paraphrasing, rephrasing, and involving minor word changes.
While Judge Cannon was offered six grounds for dismissal, she ruled that the failure to plead copying through access and substantial similarity rendered the other grounds moot (aside from collateral estoppel, which she declined to apply). Her order to dismiss with prejudice should not have come as a surprise to Marasco, who had been warned that her second amended complaint would be the final one unless she could provide actual examples of similarity between their works or a plausible means by which Swift would have found or been aware of Marasco’s poetry.
In addition to Swift, all counts were also dismissed against her recording label and its parent company. While this was not the only lawsuit currently on Swift’s docket, the dismissal may allow her and her new husband to enjoy their honeymoon just a little bit more.
