NewJeans and parent company HYBE are facing a new U.S. copyright fight as their 2023 hit ETA becomes the target of a high profile plagiarism lawsuit, just while the group works on a long awaited comeback. The case puts one of their biggest global tracks under legal scrutiny.
The complaint argues that ETA copies a famous Baltimore club instrumental, raising questions about how far NewJeans sample friendly sound can go in court. With another U.S. case already pending over 2024 single How Sweet, fans are asking whether the mounting claims could affect the timing and shape of the next era.
NewJeans ETA plagiarism lawsuit: what the filing says
On July 7 2026, All Surface Publishing filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California over NewJeans song ETA. The company represents DJ Debonair Samir, whose 2005 track Samir’s Theme is at the center of the dispute.
The suit names NewJeans members Minji, Hanni, Haerin, Hyein and former member Danielle, along with ADOR, HYBE, producer 250, lyricist Beenzino, producer collective BANA and distributors including Apple. All Surface claims ETA uses a combination of syncopated melodic horns, bass drums and rhythmic structures that is “strikingly” or “substantially” similar to Samir’s Theme without permission.
Because ETA powered the Billboard 200 topping EP Get Up, hit No. 4 on Billboard’s Global Excl. U.S. chart and has hundreds of millions of Spotify streams, the lawsuit seeks a slice of what it calls “significant revenue and profits,” plus statutory damages up to 150,000 dollars per work for alleged willful infringement.
All Surface previously sued Pitbull’s label over the same 2005 track, ending in a settlement. A representative for NewJeans told Korean media the audio at issue was supplied through BANA under then ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin and that internal reviews of past similarity checks are ongoing. No court has ruled on the claim.
Two U.S. plagiarism lawsuits and rising pressure on NewJeans
The ETA case arrives only about two months after four U.S. songwriters sued over NewJeans 2024 single How Sweet. They allege the first verse copies their demo One of a Kind, written over an instrumental they say was sent for consideration in January 2024, then rejected before How Sweet was released.
Those writers are seeking credit and royalties. ADOR, after consulting BANA, publicly denied any copying and said it would present its position in court. Earlier, a British publisher accused NewJeans song Bubble Gum of plagiarism, which ADOR also firmly rejected, but that dispute did not escalate into a U.S. lawsuit.
Musically, critics had already linked ETA to Samir’s Theme when Get Up dropped, framing the horn line as a clear Baltimore club reference. In copyright law, a general genre influence is not protected, but a specific melodic and rhythmic combination can be, which is exactly what All Surface is trying to prove.
Could the lawsuits change NewJeans 2026 comeback plans?
In April 2026, ADOR confirmed that NewJeans were preparing a new album in preproduction in Copenhagen and promised to announce comeback details later. After a Korean court ruling in October 2025 kept the group’s contracts with ADOR in force until 2029, Hanni, Haerin and Hyein returned to the label, while Minji’s status is still being discussed. Danielle’s contract was terminated in December 2025, though she remains named in the U.S. music suits as a performer on the tracks.
U.S. music copyright cases typically run for months or years and often end in settlements or added credits, while artists continue releasing new music. The ETA and How Sweet lawsuits therefore do not automatically block a 2026 comeback, though ADOR may take a more cautious approach to recognizable samples and to using the disputed songs in American promotions.
What happens next will depend on how quickly HYBE and ADOR respond in court, whether All Surface pushes for aggressive remedies such as an injunction, and how the Copenhagen sessions evolve as the legal spotlight on NewJeans sound keeps intensifying.