Poet Kimberly Marasco has moved to appeal a federal court’s decision dismissing her copyright infringement lawsuit against global pop superstar Taylor Swift, signaling that the high-profile legal battle over the singer’s lyrics is far from over.

The appeal comes just days after a U.S. federal judge dismissed Marasco’s lawsuit with prejudice, ruling that the alleged similarities between her poems and Swift’s lyrics were not protected under U.S. copyright law. In the decision, the court concluded that the overlapping material consisted of common ideas, themes, metaphors, and isolated words that cannot be exclusively owned or protected by copyright.

Marasco had alleged that Taylor Swift copied elements of her poetry across more than a dozen songs spanning several albums, including Lover, Folklore, Evermore, Midnights, and The Tortured Poets Department. Among the tracks identified in the complaint were “The Man,” “The Great War,” “My Tears Ricochet,” and “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.”

Despite the dismissal, Marasco has made it clear that she intends to continue pursuing the case through the appeals process. By filing an appeal, she is asking a higher court to review whether the trial judge correctly applied copyright law when determining that the alleged similarities were too generic to qualify for legal protection.

Taylor Swift’s legal team has consistently denied the allegations, arguing throughout the case that the lawsuit lacked legal merit. Attorneys for the singer maintained that Marasco’s claims relied on broad literary concepts and commonplace expressions rather than original creative expression protected by copyright. The judge ultimately agreed with that position, bringing the initial lawsuit to a close.

The case has drawn significant attention across the music industry, where copyright disputes involving song lyrics and creative inspiration continue to spark debate. Legal experts note that copyright law protects an author’s unique expression of an idea not the underlying themes, emotions, concepts, or commonly used phrases that frequently appear in music and poetry.

For Taylor Swift, the ruling marked another legal victory in a career that has seen several high-profile copyright disputes. The singer has repeatedly defended her songwriting against infringement claims while continuing to maintain one of the most commercially successful catalogs in modern music.

Although the appeal does not reverse the original ruling, it ensures that the dispute will continue to be monitored closely by artists, songwriters, publishers, and copyright lawyers. The outcome could further clarify how U.S. courts distinguish between protected creative expression and the universal ideas and themes that often inspire songs.

As the appellate process begins, both sides are expected to submit legal briefs outlining their arguments before a higher court determines whether the dismissal should stand or whether the case warrants further review. Until then, one of the music industry’s latest copyright battles remains unresolved.