Indian songwriter Nagnath Kharat sues BIGHIT MUSIC over two songs on the album Arirang

The complaint

Nagnath Kharat v. BIGHIT MUSIC Co., Ltd., No. 1:26-cv-08699 (S.D.N.Y.), is an 11-page verified complaint dated October 1, 2026, with a jury demand. Kharat, who appears pro se, describes himself as a poet, songwriter, screenwriter, and film director living in Maharashtra, India. The caption names one defendant, BIGHIT MUSIC Co., Ltd., which the complaint describes as a South Korean music company and record label associated with the group BTS; the introduction also refers to BTS as a defendant. The court granted Kharat's application to proceed in forma pauperis on October 8, 2026.

The works

The complaint says Kharat began work in March 2025 on an album he calls Walking on the City Street, recorded digitally, and posted working posters for it on Instagram on March 8 and March 19, 2026. The complaint identifies the works at issue as his song "Paul Market," also called "Still love you," in recordings it dates December 3 and 5, 2025, and recordings titled "Let's Sing Naga" that it dates December 7 and 26, 2025 (one paragraph gives December 7 and 16). He says he has not yet registered the works with the U.S. Copyright Office. The complaint alleges that he created and first fixed them in India, that as a citizen of India, a Berne Convention country, his works are protected in the United States under 17 U.S.C. 104, and that to the extent they qualify as foreign works under 17 U.S.C. 101, registration is not a prerequisite to suit under 17 U.S.C. 411(a).

What it alleges

The complaint alleges that the album Arirang, released March 20, 2026, includes "FYA," whose central hook melody, drum pattern, and rhythmic features it says are substantially similar to "Paul Market" and a mouth-performed rhythmic pattern in his December 3, 2025 recording, and "2.0," whose rhythmic arrangement, melodic progression, and placement of a melody break it says are substantially similar to his "Let's Sing Naga" recordings. It identifies a third song, "Swim," as requiring further examination. Kharat relies on striking similarity to infer copying. The complaint alleges a continuing and willful pattern of misuse of his work and lists other proceedings he has brought over alleged unauthorized use of his work, including Nos. 1:26-cv-05349, 1:26-cv-08397, 1:26-cv-03409, 1:26-cv-03651, and 1:26-cv-06059.

The claim and relief

The single cause of action pleads infringement of the reproduction, distribution, and public performance rights under 17 U.S.C. 106 and 501. Kharat asks for a preliminary injunction against further exploitation of "FYA" and "2.0," a declaration that he is the author and owner of the works, actual damages and profits under 17 U.S.C. 504(b), preservation and production of the songs' compositions, recordings, and working files, and costs.