Los Angeles, en.SERU.co.id — K-pop group NewJeans, along with its agency ADOR and parent company HYBE, is facing a copyright infringement lawsuit in a United States federal court. The lawsuit alleges that the group’s 2023 hit “ETA” infringes the copyright of the 2005 instrumental track “Samir’s Theme.”
According to a complaint filed on July 7, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, publisher All Surface Publishing accuses “ETA” of copying key musical elements from an earlier track: the 2005 instrumental “Samir’s Theme” by Baltimore club producer DJ Debonair Samir.
According to the complaint, the defendants include all five NewJeans members (Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein) along with producer 250, lyricist Beenzino (Lim Sung-bin), HYBE, ADOR, BANA (Bits & Natives), and Apple, which allegedly used “ETA” in its advertising campaign.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages based on the profits generated by “ETA,” which became a major hit and charted on the Billboard Hot 100.
In the complaint, All Surface Publishing explicitly states that the defendants:
“included a combination of elements in ‘ETA’s’ musical composition (and sound recording embodying that composition) that is strikingly and/or substantially similar, and indeed virtually identical, to an original combination of elements from ‘Samir’s Theme’ without a license from or compensation to All Surface.”
Elements Allegedly Copied:
- Syncopated horn (brass) melody
- Rhythmic structure based on sixteenth notes
- Bass drum pattern
Several music publications had already noted these similarities when “ETA” first dropped in 2023, with outlets like Pitchfork and Paste highlighting the resemblance at the time.
This marks the second copyright infringement case NewJeans has faced in the U.S. in 2026. Earlier this year, four songwriters sued the group and HYBE over their track “How Sweet,” alleging it copied elements from a demo submitted for consideration.
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As of now, neither HYBE nor ADOR has issued an official response to the latest lawsuit. In the previous “How Sweet” case, ADOR firmly denied any plagiarism and said it would defend the case vigorously.
Legal experts note that these kinds of suits are common in the music industry, but proving “substantial similarity” in court can be complex. For now, the claims remain unproven allegations.
The lawsuit comes as NewJeans continues to face internal disputes involving ADOR and HYBE, drawing renewed public attention to the group.
*(Sources: Billboard, Koreaboo, Digital Music News, and Dispatch)
