Fifty-year-old American rhythm and blues singer Jesse Braham, who uses the stage name Jesse Graham, has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against 25-year-old singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, claiming that she stole words from a song that he allegedly wrote in 2013 titled Haters Gone Hate for her song Shake It Off, which was released in 2014.

Braham, who is suing for $42 million, said he has ownership of the phrases “haters gone hate” and “playas gone play.”

Braham’s song contains the lyrics: “Haters gone hater, playas gone play/ Watch out for them fakers, they’ll fake you everyday.”

The chorus of Shake It Off contains lyrics such as: “Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play/ And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate.” Another line of the song says: “And the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake, fake, fake.”

The video for Shake It Off has been viewed more than 1.1 billion times on Youtube. The song also topped music charts all over the world and landed the number two spot in the United Kingdom.

Our attorneys at Gagnon, Peacock & Vereeke, P.C., who cater to clients in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and throughout the state of Texas, provide legal representation for individuals with intellectual property issues such as copyright, patent, or trademark infringement. Call our offices today at (214) 824-1414 to discuss your claim with one of our attorneys.