NewJeans Is Already Split. Now There's a US Copyright Lawsuit, Too.
The group hasn't released music as a full unit in over a year. One member's contract has been terminated. Another is still "discussing her future activities" with the label. On May 7, four American songwriters added a copyright infringement lawsuit to the list.
The complaint, filed in US court and first reported by Billboard, names NewJeans members Minji, Hanni, Haerin, Hyein, and Danielle as defendants, alongside their label ADOR and HYBE parent company. The allegation: that "How Sweet," the group's May 2024 title track, copies substantial elements from a demo the plaintiffs submitted during the song's production process.
According to the suit, songwriter Audrey Armacost received an instrumental track from her publisher in January 2024 and was invited to develop topline melodies and lyrics as a candidate for NewJeans. She and co-writers Aidan Rodriguez, Adam Gokcebay, and Michael Campanelli recorded a demo titled "One of a Kind" over the instrumental and submitted it. They were told it hadn't been selected. Four months later, "How Sweet" was out. The complaint claims the first verse of the released track is "quantitatively and qualitatively similar" to their demo - both songs sharing the same key of B-flat minor and an eight-bar melodic sequence of 31 notes divided into four phrases.
"Adam, Aidan, Audrey and Michael are extremely disappointed to discover that their original song 'One of a Kind' was blatantly copied," said their attorney Trevor Barrett. The plaintiffs are seeking a share of royalties from what they describe as the "great commercial success" of the track. "How Sweet" peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Global 200 following its release.
ADOR responded on May 9 KST. "Upon checking with BANA, who were responsible for composing and producing this song, their position is that there was no plagiarism involved," the label said. "ADOR and the members plan to respond to the lawsuit in accordance with BANA's stance."
It's not the first time a NewJeans track has drawn a plagiarism claim. In 2024, British jazz-funk band Shakatak alleged that "Bubble Gum" copied elements from their 1981 song "Easier Said Than Done." ADOR denied that claim and commissioned an independent analysis. No further legal action followed. Both "Bubble Gum" and "How Sweet" were produced by BANA affiliate 250 - a detail the current suit implicitly highlights. The earlier case involved a third party hearing similarities after the fact. This one involves a demo that was submitted directly to the label.
The suit arrives as NewJeans' membership itself remains unsettled. The group's contract dispute with ADOR ran through most of 2025 before a court ruled the exclusive contracts valid in October. Since then, Haerin, Hyein, and Hanni have resumed activities under ADOR. Danielle's contract was terminated. Minji's status, as of May 7, remains unresolved.
