Taylor Swift is trying to shake off yet another legal battle — this time over the designs she used for her Lover era.
Billboard reports author Teresa La Dart filed a complaint in Tennessee federal court on Tuesday and accused the Grammy-winning singer of stealing “a number of creative elements” from her 2010 self-published book, also titled Lover.
An attorney for La Dart takes issue with the book that accompanied the 2019 special-edition Lover CD. The lawyer, William S. Parks, says his client’s copyright has been infringed because the 2010 work featured “pastel pinks and blues” and the author depicted herself “photographed in a downward pose” on the cover.
La Dart alleges Taylor copied the “format” of her book, adding her 2010 collection of poems featured “a recollection of past years memorialized in a combination of written and pictorial components” — and Taylor’s did the same.
“The defendants to this day have neither sought, nor obtained, a license from TLD of her creative design element rights, nor have they given any credit to TLD … let alone provided any monetary payments,” the complaint reads. They are seeking damages in “excess of one million dollars.”
Legal experts have weighed in on Billboard and say the case is “unlikely to succeed.”
Litigator Aaron Moss told the outlet, “The idea of memorializing a series of recollections over a number of years by interspersing ‘written and pictorial components’ isn’t protectable … This lawsuit should be thrown out on a motion to dismiss.”
Taylor is facing a separate case where she stands accused of copying lyrics for her 2014 hit “Shake It Off” from 3LW‘s 2001 song “Playas Gon’ Play.” Her team is asking for a judge to rule without a trial.
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