NewJeans, the group sued for copyright infringement. Kyunghyang Shinmun file photo

NewJeans and its labels HYBE and ADOR have reportedly been sued in the United States for allegedly infringing the copyright to ‘How Sweet’ (How Sweet), released last year.

According to Billboard, the U.S. music trade magazine, on the 8th (local time), NewJeans members and HYBE were sued over copyright infringement regarding ‘How Sweet’. The outlet reported that the plaintiff composer alleged the track was a blatant copy of his work (blatant copying).

According to the plaintiff’s complaint, in early 2024 the composer received an instrumental track from his music publisher and was asked to do a ‘topline’ (topline) over it, adding melody and lyrics. Several months later, ‘How Sweet’ was released, and the plaintiff claimed that the first verse of the song was “quantitatively and qualitatively similar” to the submitted demo, seeking damages and rights including a share of royalties.

‘How Sweet’ is a track from NewJeans released as a double single in May last year. Another track on the same release, ‘Bubble Gum’ (Bubble Gum), had previously faced plagiarism controversy. Allegations were raised that it plagiarized the 1982 song by the British band Shakatak, ‘Easier Said Than Done’, and the original rights holders filed objections with ADOR and the Korea Music Copyright Association.

At the time, ADOR stated that “the composers had never even heard the track” and countered the claim by submitting an analysis report from a musicologist. Two tracks from the same album thus became the subject of copyright disputes in the United Kingdom and the United States, respectively.

Earlier, NewJeans members lost in the first-instance trial of a lawsuit seeking to nullify their exclusive contracts against ADOR. Since then, the members have been divided over matters including whether to continue activities and return.