The world’s most famous children’s song just won its day in court.

On Thursday, South Korea’s Supreme Court shut down a plagiarism claim against Baby Shark, the infectiously simple tune that has taken over classrooms, playgrounds, and, let’s be honest, many parents’ sanity once and for all.

New York composer Jonathan Wright had been battling Pinkfong, the South Korean media company behind the viral hit, since 2021. He claimed the song stole the bass line and rhythm from a track he released in 2011, and asked for $21,700 in damages. After losing in two lower courts, Wright took his case to the nation’s top bench.

But the justices sided with Pinkfong, finding that both Wright’s track and Baby Shark borrowed from the same traditional American campfire chant, a melody that’s been around for generations and lives firmly in the public domain. Wright’s own version, they ruled, didn’t deviate enough from the original to be protected by copyright.

In a statement, Pinkfong called the ruling “a reaffirmation that Baby Shark is a creative adaptation,” adding that the company simply gave a beloved chant “an upbeat rhythm and catchy melody” a mix that turned it into a global pop culture phenomenon.

That phenomenon began in 2015 with a bright, animated YouTube video of “Baby Shark Dance.” Since then, the song has been streamed more than 16 billion times, spawned movies, TV shows, live tours, and a galaxy of merchandise. Pinkfong reported $32.6 million in revenue for the first half of 2025, with the shark family still leading its brand.

Wright’s lawyer told Reuters the decision was “a little disappointing.” For Pinkfong, it’s a decisive end to a six-year legal fight.

And for the rest of the world? Baby Shark is still out there, looping in living rooms, echoing in playgrounds, and swimming eternally in the heads of millions.