The file
Taylor Swift
Photo: iHeartRadioCA, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
person

Taylor Swift

Singer-songwriter behind the Eras Tour who re-recorded four albums and bought back her masters in 2025

Entries
32
On the record
15
Stories
1
Latest entry
Jul 2026

The record

Compiled by the MrScandal desk from the documents below ยท Desk editor Gustavs ฤ’rkลกฤทis-Kreicbergs ยท Nov 12, 2026

Taylor Swift has been a defendant in a string of copyright and trademark suits and has won or ended every one decided so far. A judge dismissed Jesse Braham's $42 million Shake It Off claim in 2015. Hall v. Swift, brought by the writers of the 3LW song Playas Gon' Play, was dismissed in 2018, revived by the Ninth Circuit in 2019 and dismissed in December 2022 after both sides agreed to end it, each paying its own fees. The Evermore Park, Lover book and poet suits ended in dismissals. A 2026 trademark suit over The Life of a Showgirl is pending in Los Angeles.

Her own suit came in Denver. In August 2017 a judge threw out a former radio host's claims against her, and a federal jury found he had assaulted and battered her at a 2013 photo session and awarded her the symbolic $1 she asked for. She said she would donate to organizations that help sexual assault victims.

The masters dispute began on June 30, 2019, when Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings bought Big Machine Label Group, owner of her first six albums. Ithaca sold the masters to Shamrock Capital in November 2020; she re-recorded four of the albums and on May 30, 2025 announced she had bought the catalog back, price undisclosed. The Eras Tour presale failure in November 2022 led to fan suits against Live Nation and Ticketmaster and a Senate Judiciary hearing in January 2023. Swift is not a defendant in those suits.

Questions people ask

What happened in the Taylor Swift trial in Denver?

On August 14, 2017 a federal jury in Denver found that former radio host David Mueller assaulted and battered Swift during a 2013 photo op and awarded her $1 on her countersuit. The jury also found that her mother and her radio liaison did not interfere with his contract. The judge had already ruled that Mueller failed to prove Swift personally set out to have him fired. source

How did the Shake It Off lawsuit end?

Sean Hall and Nathan Butler sued in September 2017, claiming Shake It Off copied their 2001 song Playas Gon' Play. Judge Michael Fitzgerald dismissed it in February 2018, the Ninth Circuit revived it, and he denied Swift summary judgment in December 2021. On December 12, 2022 the case was dismissed after the parties agreed to discontinue it, each side bearing its own legal fees. No other terms were made public. source

Did Taylor Swift get her masters back?

Yes. In a note on her website on May 30, 2025 she announced she had bought her catalog of recordings from Shamrock Capital, its most recent owner, and wrote that all of the music she had ever made now belonged to her. The price was not disclosed. Shamrock said it was thrilled with the outcome. source

Why did Taylor Swift not buy her masters from Shamrock in 2020?

Shamrock Capital bought the masters of her first six albums from Scooter Braun's Ithaca in November 2020, reportedly for more than $300 million. Swift said the deal was done without her knowledge and that she could not work with Shamrock because the transaction gave Braun and Ithaca ongoing royalties or earn-outs. source

What is the Taylor Swift Ticketmaster lawsuit?

Fans sued Live Nation and Ticketmaster in December 2022 over the Eras Tour sale; Swift is not a defendant. In November 2025 Judge George Wu dismissed the negligence, fraud and negligent misrepresentation claims for good, let the fans amend a breach of contract claim, and kept the monopolization, exclusive dealing and California unfair competition claims alive. source

What happened at the Senate hearing on the Eras Tour tickets?

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing titled That's the Ticket on January 24, 2023. Live Nation president Joe Berchtold testified that primary ticketing companies do not set ticket prices. Senator Amy Klobuchar said Live Nation controls about 70 percent of the big concert ticketing market, and SeatGeek's chief executive also testified. source

What is the Life of a Showgirl trademark lawsuit?

Las Vegas performer Maren Wade, who has held the Confessions of a Showgirl trademark since 2015, sued Swift in federal court in Los Angeles in 2026. The Trademark Office had refused Swift's application for the album title as too similar to Wade's mark. At a hearing in May 2026 Swift's lawyer argued the First Amendment protects the album title; Judge Serena Murillo said a written ruling would follow, and Swift's motion to dismiss was pending. source

Did Taylor Swift win the poet's copyright lawsuit?

Yes. In July 2026 U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon in Florida dismissed self-published poet Kimberly Marasco's suit with prejudice, ruling that her poems contained no protectable expression Swift could have copied. An earlier suit by Marasco had been dismissed with prejudice in September 2025. Marasco told ABC News she had appealed. source

Roles and honours on the record

  • 2017 Counterclaim plaintiff in a federal suit brought by a former Denver radio host, U.S. District Court in Denver source
  • 2017-2022 Defendant, Hall v. Swift, C.D. Cal. No. 2:17-cv-06882; 9th Cir. No. 18-55426 source
  • 2018-present Recording artist, Universal Music Group worldwide and Republic Records in the U.S. source
  • 2025-present Owner of the master recordings of her catalog, bought back from Shamrock Capital source
  • 2026-present Defendant, trademark suit by Maren Wade over The Life of a Showgirl, U.S. District Court, Central District of California source

Every entry, newest first

Last entry May 30, 2025
  1. Reported

    Taylor Swift's letter to fans announcing she bought her first six albums' masters from Shamrock, reported by Variety, May 30, 2025 Taylor Swift's masters: sold for $330M, resold, bought back

  2. Reported

    Shamrock Holdings' statement responding to Swift, issued November 2020 (she declined the partnership that October) Taylor Swift's masters: sold for $330M, resold, bought back

  3. Reported

    Music Business Worldwide report on the joint announcement that Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings had acquired Big Machine Label Group, June 30, 2019 Taylor Swift's masters: sold for $330M, resold, bought back

Stories in this file

Taylor Swift: RECLAIMEDCelebrity ยท 8d ago

๐ŸŽค Taylor Swift's masters: sold for $330M, resold, bought back

Braun's 2019 deal was later put at $330M and the 2020 Shamrock resale at over $300M. What Swift paid to reclaim them in 2025 is undisclosed. ๐Ÿ”’

The record, entry by entry

  1. 2015-11 Ruled U.S. District Judge Gail Standish dismissed singer Jesse Braham's suit, which sought $42 million and claimed Shake It Off copied lyrics from his 2013 song Haters Gone Hate. The order found the phrases at issue were already in wide use before his song came out. WPTV report
  2. 2017-09-18 Filed Songwriters Sean Hall and Nathan Butler sued Swift, her co-writers, publishers and label in federal court in Los Angeles, claiming Shake It Off infringed Playas Gon' Play, a 2001 song recorded by 3LW. George Washington University Law School, Music Copyright Infringement Resource, case file
  3. 2018-02-13 Ruled Judge Michael Fitzgerald dismissed Hall v. Swift for failure to state a claim, holding that the lyrics at issue were short phrases without the originality copyright requires, and gave the songwriters one chance to amend. On April 16, 2018 he denied the defendants' request for attorney's fees, finding the suit was not frivolous. George Washington University Law School, Music Copyright Infringement Resource, case file with the court orders
  4. 2019-10-28 Ruled The Ninth Circuit reversed the dismissal of Hall v. Swift, finding the songwriters' complaint plausibly alleged originality, and remanded; an amended memorandum followed on December 5, 2019. U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, memorandum No. 18-55426
  5. 2020-09-02 Ruled Back in the district court, Judge Fitzgerald denied Swift's renewed motion to dismiss Hall v. Swift, which had argued that the ideas in the lyrics merge with their expression and cannot be owned. U.S. District Court, Central District of California, order denying motion to dismiss
  6. 2021-03-24 Official Evermore Park, a Utah theme park that had sued Swift for trademark infringement over her album Evermore, and her company TAS Rights Management, which had countersued over the park's use of her songs, agreed to dismiss both suits. Her spokesperson said no money changed hands. Utah Public Radio report
  7. 2021-12-09 Ruled Judge Fitzgerald denied Swift's motion for summary judgment in Hall v. Swift, finding genuine disputes for a jury, which kept the case on course for trial. U.S. District Court, Central District of California, order denying summary judgment
  8. 2022-08 Filed Mississippi author Teresa La Dart sued Swift in federal court in Tennessee, claiming the companion book to the 2019 album Lover copied design and text elements of her 2010 poetry book of the same name, and sought more than $1 million. Her lawyers filed to dismiss the case with prejudice on July 26, 2023; no settlement was reported. E! News report
  9. 2022-12-12 Ruled U.S. District Judge Michael Fitzgerald dismissed Hall v. Swift with prejudice at the joint request of both sides, who agreed to pay their own legal expenses. No reason was given. KFI AM 640 report
  10. 2025-09 Ruled A federal court in Florida dismissed with prejudice a first copyright suit by self-published poet Kimberly Marasco, who claimed Swift's songs copied her poems. ABC News report
  11. 2026-03-30 Filed Las Vegas performer Maren Wade sued Swift, TAS Rights Management and UMG's Bravado in the Central District of California, claiming The Life of a Showgirl infringes her Confessions of a Showgirl trademark, registered since 2015. She seeks an injunction, profits and damages. The Trademark Office had refused Swift's application for the title as confusingly similar to Wade's mark. NBC News report
  12. 2026-05-27 Reported At a hearing on Wade's request for an injunction, Swift's lawyer Douglas Baldridge argued the First Amendment protects the album title. Judge Serena Murillo asked whether the album is an expressive work shielded from trademark claims and said a written ruling would follow; Swift's motion to dismiss was pending. Washington Times report
  13. 2026-07 Ruled U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed Marasco's second suit, against Swift, Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner, Republic Records and UMG, with prejudice, ruling that the poems held no protectable expression and that copying was not plausibly pleaded. Marasco said she had appealed. ABC News report

The Denver trial (2017)

  1. 2017-08-11 Ruled Mid-trial, U.S. District Judge William Martinez dismissed former radio host David Mueller's claims against Swift herself, ruling he had not shown she personally set out to get him fired after the 2013 meet-and-greet. Mueller had sought up to $3 million. His claims against her mother and her radio liaison went to the jury. Global News report
  2. 2017-08-14 Ruled A federal jury in Denver found that Mueller assaulted and battered Swift at a 2013 photo op, awarded her $1 on her countersuit, and found that her mother and her radio liaison did not interfere with his contract. In a statement that evening she thanked the judge and jury and said she would donate to organizations that help sexual assault victims. CBS Colorado report

Masters and re-recordings

  1. 2019-06-30 Reported Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings, partly financed by the Carlyle Group, announced it had acquired Big Machine Label Group, which released all her albums to that point, reportedly for more than $300 million. In a Tumblr post Swift said she learned of it from the announcement and called Braun's purchase her worst nightmare; Big Machine founder Scott Borchetta said he had texted her the night before. Axios report
  2. 2020-11-16 Reported Ithaca sold the master recordings of her first six albums to Los Angeles private equity firm Shamrock Capital, for more than $300 million according to a source cited by Variety. Swift said the sale happened without her knowledge and that she could not work with Shamrock because the deal paid Braun and Ithaca ongoing earn-outs. Axios report
  3. 2021-04-09 Reported Fearless (Taylor's Version), the first of her re-recorded albums, was released. Red (Taylor's Version) followed on November 12, 2021, a week earlier than first announced. Capital FM report
  4. 2023-07-07 Reported Speak Now (Taylor's Version) was released, followed by 1989 (Taylor's Version) on October 27, 2023, her fourth re-recorded album. Capital FM report
  5. 2025-05-30 Official In a note on her website Swift announced she had bought back her catalog of recordings from Shamrock Capital. The price was not disclosed; Shamrock said it was thrilled with the outcome. Fortune report

Eras Tour tickets

  1. 2022-12 Filed After the Eras Tour sale, fans led by Michelle Sterioff filed a proposed class action against Live Nation and Ticketmaster in federal court in California. She filed a voluntary dismissal on December 12, 2023; whether a settlement was reached was not disclosed. Pollstar report
  2. 2023-01-24 Official The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on live-event ticketing after the Eras Tour sale crashed Ticketmaster. Live Nation president Joe Berchtold testified that ticketing companies do not set prices; Senator Amy Klobuchar said Live Nation controls about 70 percent of the big concert ticketing market. Roll Call report
  3. 2025-11 Ruled In the fans' surviving Eras Tour suit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster, No. 2:23-cv-01114, Judge George Wu dismissed the negligence, fraud and negligent misrepresentation claims without leave to amend and allowed a breach of contract claim to be amended. The monopolization, exclusive dealing and California unfair competition claims continue. Digital Music News report

Label and awards

  1. 2010 Official At the 52nd Grammy Awards she won Album of the Year and Best Country Album for Fearless, and Best Country Song for White Horse. Recording Academy, artist page
  2. 2016 Official At the 58th Grammy Awards, 1989 won Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album, and Bad Blood won Best Music Video. Recording Academy, artist page
  3. 2018-11-19 Official Universal Music Group announced an exclusive worldwide recording agreement with Swift, naming UMG's Republic Records as her label partner in the United States. Universal Music Group press release
  4. 2021 Official At the 63rd Grammy Awards, Folklore won Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album, her third Album of the Year win. Recording Academy, artist page
  5. 2023-12-06 Official TIME magazine named Swift its 2023 Person of the Year, announcing the choice in an article published on December 6, 2023. TIME
  6. 2024 Official At the 66th Grammy Awards, Midnights won Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album, making her fourth Album of the Year win on the Recording Academy's record. Recording Academy, artist page

Documents

Sources behind this file

  1. Variety report on Swift's 2025 purchase of the masters ยท Report, May 30, 2025
  2. Music Business Worldwide report confirming the $330 million price ยท Report, Jun 14, 2023
  3. The New York Times report on the Shamrock sale ยท Report, Nov 17, 2020
  4. Variety report on Braun's resale of the masters and Swift's response ยท Report, Nov 16, 2020
  5. CNBC report on the AMA dispute and the $7.9 million royalty claim ยท Report, Nov 15, 2019
  6. Billboard report on attorney Don Passman's statement ยท Report, Jul 2, 2019
  7. Taylor Swift's Tumblr post opposing the sale ยท Original post, Jun 30, 2019
  8. Billboard report on Ithaca Holdings acquiring Big Machine Label Group ยท Report, Jun 30, 2019

Connected files

  • Ticketmaster ยท Ticket seller for live events; subsidiary of Live Nation Entertainment ยท named in the record
  • Live Nation Entertainment ยท Concert promoter, venue operator and artist manager; parent company of Ticketmaster ยท named in the record
  • ABC News ยท News division of Disney's ABC network ยท named in the record