Taylor Swift, the renowned pop icon, was accused last summer by Teresa La Dart, a Mississippi-based poet and writer, of copying the design specifics from La Dart’s 2010 poetry compilation, Lover, for Swift’s own 2019 album booklet, also named Lover. However, as confirmed by Billboard and Newsound, La Dart has now permanently withdrawn her lawsuit against Swift. The motion was lodged last Thursday (July 27) in a Tennessee federal court, and was due to a voluntary dismissal rather than a settlement agreement.
The original grievance, which Newsound obtained, saw La Dart accuse Swift of replicating “several creative aspects” from her self-published poetry book’s cover in Swift’s Lover book, which was included in the album’s special edition CD release. At that time, La Dart’s attorney argued that Swift owed her client “over a million dollars” in damages.
La Dart identified elements she believed Swift took from her poetry book, such as the title Lover, the use of “soft pinks and blues” on the cover, and author photos featuring a “downward pose.” She also stated that Swift had violated the structure of her book, asserting that Swift’s was also “a retrospect of past years preserved in a mix of written and pictorial elements” comprising “intermingled photos and writings.”
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In a document filed in March this year, and reviewed by Newsound, Swift’s legal team requested the case’s dismissal, labelling La Dart’s claims as “completely baseless” and “gravely inadequate.”
Newsound has sought additional details from the legal counsel representing both Swift and La Dart.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Taylor Swift Copyright Lawsuit
Who filed a lawsuit against Taylor Swift over the Lover book design?
Teresa La Dart, a Mississippi poet and author, filed a lawsuit against Taylor Swift claiming that the design details of her poetry book, Lover, were copied by Swift for the accompanying book of her 2019 album also titled Lover.
What were the main accusations in the lawsuit?
La Dart accused Swift of replicating several creative aspects from the cover of her self-published poetry book for the Lover book that came with the special edition CD release of Swift’s album. The elements allegedly copied included the title, use of pastel colors on the cover, images of the author in a specific pose, and the format of the book.
What is the current status of the lawsuit?
The lawsuit has been permanently dropped by Teresa La Dart. The motion was lodged in a Tennessee federal court and resulted from a voluntary dismissal rather than a settlement agreement.
How did Taylor Swift’s legal team respond to the lawsuit?
Taylor Swift’s legal team requested a dismissal of the lawsuit, referring to the allegations as “completely baseless” and “gravely inadequate”.
More about Taylor Swift Copyright Lawsuit
- Billboard’s Report on Taylor Swift Lawsuit
- Original Newsound Article
- Taylor Swift’s 2019 Album ‘Lover’
- Details about Teresa La Dart
(Note: this is a placeholder link as information on Teresa La Dart was not found during my training period up to September 2021.)
5 comments
I smell a publicity stunt… who even knew about La Dart’s book before this huh? I smell something fishy…
Yes!! Our queen is in the clear now! This lawsuit was so baseless…like, seriously, downward pose photos are not copyrighted!
hmm…interesting how these things play out, can’t say for sure who’s right. anyway, glad it’s settled, onto the next controversy i guess
Finally, its over! didnt seem like a strong case from the start, you know? just cause books got same name and similar colors dont mean it’s a copy…
Well that was a rollercoaster… also, I don’t get why she dropped it all of sudden, seemed like she was pretty serious.