It feels like ever since Robin Thicke‘s disgusting hit track Blurred Lines, barely a week goes by without a lawsuit filed relating to one artist ripping off another. Last week, it was Drake ripping off D.R.A.M’s Cha Cha, and now it’s Taylor Swift stealing 92% of Shake It Off from a rapper named Jesse Braham. Apparently.
Braham, recently attempted to sue T-Swift for an absolutely reasonable sum of $42 million, because of the similarities between her banger, and his own song Haters Gonna Hate. Obviously, all of Brahams’ loved ones neglected to tell him that there is quite literally, nothing similar about these tracks (except for their defence against haters, of course) before he walked into the court of law and subsequently got slammed by the judge… using Taylor Swift’s lyrics.
Braham claimed that his song Haters Gonna Hate which he apparently copyrighted in 2013, had the same 22-word phrase that Swift used in her song. United States District Court judge and probable T-Swift mega fan, Gail Standish dismissed the case, citing that “at present, the Court is not saying that Braham can never, ever, ever get his case back in court. But, for now, we have got problems, and the Court is not sure Braham can solve them”.
The fun didn’t stop there however, as Standish went on to write, “As currently drafted, the Complaint has a blank space – one that requires Braham to do more than write his name. And, upon consideration of the Court’s explanation … Braham may discover that mere pleading BandAids will not fix the bullet holes in his case. At least for the moment, Defendants have shaken off this lawsuit.”
Braham filed the suit in federal court without an attorney, and also requested that the court waive various filing fees as his last job was in 2006. It was ruled that he did not provide enough factual evidence in this case, however, he would be given the opportunity to file a new complaint if his lawsuit deficiencies were corrected. Here’s hoping that he gets the same judge next time.