The songwriters of 3LW’s hit “Playas Gon’ Play” is going to have to shake it right on off because they just lost their copyright lawsuit against Taylor Swift.
Two writers from the popular song filed a suit back in September, claiming that Swift stole their lyrics for her song, “Shake It Off.”
On the 3LW track, Adrienne Bailon and company sang: “Playas, they gonna play / And haters, they gonna hate.” Meanwhile, Swift sang: “The players gonna play, play, play, play, play and the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate.”
We know, it’s a common phrase — which might explain why on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Michael Fitzgerald dismissed the case. “The lynchpin of this entire case is thus whether or not the lyrics ‘Playas, they gonna play / And haters, they gonna hate’ are eligible for protection under the Copyright Act,” FItgerald wrote.
He added, “[B]y 2001, American popular culture was heavily steeped in the concepts of players, haters, and player haters. … The concept of actors acting in accordance with their essential nature is not at all creative; it is banal.”
According to the judge, “The allegedly infringed lyrics are short phrases that lack the modicum of originality and creativity required for copyright protection.”
Interestingly enough, at the time of the lawsuit, former group member, Adrienne, opened up about the claims on her daytime talkshow, The Real. She admitted that when Swift’s song came out, she did think it sounded a bit like her 2001 anthem.
Writers, Sean Hall and Nathan Butler, do however, have until February 26 to amend their complaint.
Here are both songs below.