Four Los Angeles songwriters have sued HYBE, its subsidiary ADOR, the members of NewJeans, and roughly twenty other defendants, claiming the group’s 2024 hit “How Sweet” copied the opening verse of a demo they submitted months before the song came out. The NewJeans “How Sweet” copyright lawsuit, Rodriguez v. Hybe, Ador, NewJeans (Case No. 2:26-cv-04931), was filed on May 7, 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and is in its earliest procedural stages.1Music Business Worldwide. Rodriguez v. Hybe Complaint
What the Songwriters Say Happened
The plaintiffs are Aidan Rodriguez, Audrey Armacost, Adam Gokcebay, and producer Michael Campanelli. In January 2024, according to the complaint, Armacost received an instrumental track through her publisher, Pulse Music Group, with an invitation to write a topline — the vocal melody and lyrics — for NewJeans. The four songwriters wrote and recorded a demo titled “One of a Kind” over that instrumental within a day.2Music Business Worldwide. Songwriters Sue HYBE, NewJeans Claiming Elements of How Sweet Were Taken From Their Rejected Demo
Pulse submitted the demo to BANA (Beasts and Natives Alike), the external production company behind most of NewJeans’ catalog, including “How Sweet.” BANA confirmed it received the demo but told the songwriters it would not be selected.3Complete Music Update. Songwriters Say Demo Sent to NewJeans Was Incorporated Into K-Pop Hit Without Credit or Permission NewJeans released “How Sweet” on May 24, 2024, as the title track of a mini-album and the lead song for Coca-Cola’s global Coke Studio program.4Billboard. Coca-Cola Coke Studio
The complaint, filed by attorney Trevor Barrett of Doniger / Burroughs, brings three causes of action: direct copyright infringement, vicarious copyright infringement, and accounting. The plaintiffs argue they are joint authors and co-owners of the “How Sweet” composition and are seeking a pro rata share of the royalties the song has generated.5Billboard. NewJeans Members, HYBE Copyright Lawsuit Over How Sweet
The Specific Similarities Alleged
The complaint identifies concrete musical overlaps between “One of a Kind” and “How Sweet.” Both songs are in 4/4 meter and in the key of B-flat minor. The plaintiffs point to a roughly eight-bar, 31-note melodic sequence made up of four series in the opening verses of each track, which they describe as “quantitatively and qualitatively similar.”5Billboard. NewJeans Members, HYBE Copyright Lawsuit Over How Sweet
In a statement, Barrett said his clients “were deeply disappointed to discover this blatant copying of their original song” and “look forward to having their rights acknowledged and vindicated via this lawsuit.”5Billboard. NewJeans Members, HYBE Copyright Lawsuit Over How Sweet
Who Is Being Sued
The defendant list extends well past HYBE and NewJeans. Corporate defendants include HYBE Co., Ltd.; HYBE Music Services, LLC; HYBE America Inc.; ADOR Co., Ltd.; UMG Recordings, Inc.; YG PLUS Co.; The Coca-Cola Company; BANA Entertainment; Sony Music Publishing LLC; Warner Chappell Music Inc.; Kobalt Music Pub America Inc.; BMG Rights Management US LLC; and Concord Music Group, Inc.1Music Business Worldwide. Rodriguez v. Hybe Complaint
All five NewJeans members are named individually: Kim Min-ji (Minji), Hanni Pham (Hanni), Danielle June Marsh (Danielle), Kang Hae-rin (Haerin), and Lee Hye-in (Hyein). So are the credited songwriters and producers on “How Sweet”: Oscar Scheller, Elvira Anderfjärd (ELVIRA), Stella Rose Bennett (BENEE), Ho Hyung Lee (250), Sarah Aarons, and Tove Burman.1Music Business Worldwide. Rodriguez v. Hybe Complaint
Coca-Cola commissioned and globally marketed “How Sweet” through Coke Studio, though Billboard has reported that Coca-Cola does not own the rights to or receive royalties from the music created for the initiative.4Billboard. Coca-Cola Coke Studio The publishers named as defendants likely hold shares of the songwriting and publishing rights to the track.
How ADOR Has Responded
On May 9, 2026, two days after the complaint was filed, ADOR publicly denied the allegations. The label said it had confirmed with BANA, which oversaw the song’s composition and production, “that no form of copying or infringement took place,” and added that it and the NewJeans members would “respond accordingly through the legal process.”6Digital Music News. HYBE NewJeans Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Over How Sweet Music Business Worldwide reported a slightly different translation, quoting the label as saying BANA confirmed “there was no plagiarism involved” and that ADOR and the members “plan to actively respond to the lawsuit in line with BANA’s position.”2Music Business Worldwide. Songwriters Sue HYBE, NewJeans Claiming Elements of How Sweet Were Taken From Their Rejected Demo
What the Plaintiffs Will Have to Prove
The case will be decided under Ninth Circuit copyright law. To win, the plaintiffs must show they own a valid copyright in “One of a Kind” and that the defendants copied protectable elements of it. Copying is typically established by proving the defendants had access to the original work and that the two works are substantially similar.7IP Update. Top Gun and All That Jazz: Substantial Similarity in the Ninth Circuit
Substantial similarity in the Ninth Circuit is tested two ways. The extrinsic test is an objective comparison, often supported by expert testimony, that sets aside unprotectable elements like common chord progressions and generic ideas and asks whether what remains is close enough to amount to copying. The intrinsic test is subjective and asks whether an ordinary listener would perceive the works as substantially similar. Both must be satisfied.7IP Update. Top Gun and All That Jazz: Substantial Similarity in the Ninth Circuit
Access is often the harder element in a music case, but here the plaintiffs allege a direct chain: they submitted “One of a Kind” to BANA, the same production team that then made “How Sweet.”
Where the Case Stands
As of late May 2026, the case is in its earliest procedural stages. The court issued summonses for 23 defendants on May 21, 2026, and issued notices regarding its alternative dispute resolution program and the assignment to District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald and Magistrate Judge Brianna Fuller Mircheff.8PACER Monitor. Aidan Rodriguez, et al., v. Hybe Co., Ltd., et al. No motions have been filed, no hearing dates have been set, and there is no indication of settlement discussions on the docket. The defendants have not yet formally responded in court.