Taylor Swift Wins Copyright Lawsuit Three Days After Her Wedding. Judge Dismisses Claims With Prejudice.

Three days after marrying Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden, Taylor Swift received a federal court ruling in her favor. A judge dismissed the copyright lawsuit that had been following her for years.

What You Should Know

U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon dismissed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Taylor Swift on July 6, 2026, according to E! News, which obtained the ruling. The case was filed by Florida poet Kimberly Marasco, who alleged that Swift’s lyrics had copied protected elements of her poems. Judge Cannon ruled that the allegedly infringed material - including basic ideas, themes, metaphors, isolated words, and short phrases - does not constitute protected expression under copyright law and cannot be infringed.

The dismissal was entered with prejudice, meaning Marasco cannot refile the lawsuit with the same claims. The ruling noted that Marasco had filed a similar lawsuit against Swift previously and had been “expressly warned” by the court that this would be her final chance to bring the claims. The judge found that the defects in the case were not fixable through revised pleadings - they were fundamental problems with the underlying legal theory.

The Public Image Problem

The ruling came at a moment of intense public focus on Swift. She and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce were married on July 3 at Madison Square Garden in a ceremony that drew roughly 1,000 guests, according to multiple outlets. The couple had donated $26 million to charities ahead of the event, according to reporting cited by Outlook India. The week also produced a separate legal development for Kelce: TMZ reported that Kelce and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes were actively fighting a trademark lawsuit over their Kansas City steakhouse, 1587 Prime, in the days surrounding the wedding.

The Receipts

The E! News report published July 6, 2026 confirmed the ruling and quoted directly from the judge’s decision. The Outlook India report published July 7, 2026 confirmed the timing of the ruling relative to the July 3 wedding. Judge Cannon’s ruling noted the plaintiff had been specifically warned during the prior case that further amendment would be “futile” if the defects in the underlying works could not be cured.

What Happens Next

Marasco could attempt to appeal the dismissal to the Eleventh Circuit, but courts typically give substantial deference to trial court rulings on copyright substantiality and dismissals with prejudice face a high bar for reversal. For Swift, the ruling closes out the longest-running legal challenge to her lyrics. The Kelce-Mahomes trademark case involving 1587 Prime remains unresolved - the defendants are fighting to have the New York venue dismissed, arguing their ties to the state are insufficient to support the lawsuit.

References: E! News, Taylor Swift Wins Copyright Lawsuit After Travis Kelce Wedding | Outlook India, Taylor Swift Wins Plagiarism Lawsuit as Judge Rejects Florida Poet’s Copyright Claims | Yardbarker, Travis Kelce Was Quietly Fighting Legal Battle Just Days Before Taylor Swift Wedding