Taylor Swift Not Found to Have Infringed on Copyrightโ in ‘The Tortured Poets Department’
Taylorโข Swift is โขfacing no substantiated claims of copyright infringement regarding musical elements in her latestโ album, The Tortured Poets Department, according to musicologist Dr.Joe Bennett. The debate arose following accusations that SwiftS track “fortnight” borrowed from the Jacksonโฃ 5’s 1969 hit “I Want You Back,”โ and that other songs on the album contained similarities to existing works. Bennett’s analysis, however, suggests Swift utilized common musical tropes โฃand โproduction techniques prevalent during the disco and funk eras, negating the need for interpolation credits.
The controversy highlights โthe โฃincreasingly scrutinized landscape of modern musicโ production, where the line betweenโ inspiration and imitation is often โblurred. Swift’s prolific output and meticulous attention to detail have made her aโ frequent subject โof suchโ analysis, with potential legal and reputational ramifications for both the artist and any claimants. The outcomeโค of โขthese assessments could influence future music creation and the standards for creditingโค musicalโ influences.
Bennett specifically addressed the comparison to “I Want You Back,” stating, “Every funkyโค guitar player knows licks like this.”โฃ He further pointed to a range of popular songs from the 1970s and 80s employing similar musicalโข elements,including Earth,Wind & Fire’s “September” and “shining Star,” Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop โ’Til You Get Enough,” the Bee Gees’ “Jive โคTalkin’,” โand Taste of Honey’s “Boogie Oogie Oogie.”
According to Bennett, Swift’s use โof these elements fallsโข within the realm of commonplace musical practice. “She’s โjust using commonplace musical elements and having fun with production tropes,”โ he explained. He contrasted this โwith instances where Swift has chosen โคto interpolate anotherโ artist’s work,citing “Look What You Made โMe do” and “Father Figure” as examples where she provided intentional credit.
