Eric Church's Unexpected Legal Battle with Taylor Swift: Insights and Resolutions
Eric Church recently shared insights in an interview with Rolling Stone about his involvement in a legal dispute with Taylor Swift over alleged copyright infringement. The lawsuit stemmed from Swift's hit song "Shake It Off," which was accused of using lyrics similar to those in a 2001 track by songwriters Sean Hall and Nathan Butler. Church's song "The Outsiders" was referenced in Swift's defense, leading to his unexpected entanglement in the legal battle.
Swift mentioned in her deposition that she first heard the phrase "players gonna play" in Eric Church's song, not in the original track by Hall and Butler. This revelation caught Church off guard, as he received a subpoena shortly after Swift's statement, implicating him in the lawsuit. Church reached out to Swift directly to address the issue, and she acknowledged that she had drawn inspiration from his song for the disputed lyrics.
The matter has since been resolved, with Church expressing disbelief at the unexpected turn of events. While Swift's case was dismissed in December 2022, Church's involvement was settled separately. Despite the legal ordeal, there was no public fallout between the two artists, and Church is now focused on promoting his latest album, "Evangeline vs. the Machine," and collaborating with Morgan Wallen on a new track.
In a separate development, Taylor Swift recently reclaimed ownership of the master recordings for her first six studio albums, marking a significant victory in her ongoing battle with her former label. Following the sale of Big Machine Records to Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings in 2019, Swift began re-recording her discography to regain control over her music catalog. The deal includes rights to associated materials like artwork and music videos, giving Swift full autonomy over her original recordings and the re-recorded "Taylor's Version" releases.