Dua Lipa has once again defeated a copyright lawsuit regarding her hit single "Levitating," marking a pivotal victory amid ongoing legal challenges related to her music.
Dua Lipa Prevails in Levitating Copyright Dispute
Dua Lipa Prevails in Levitating Copyright Dispute
The pop star's hit single stays unscathed after court ruling.
In a favorable ruling issued by US Judge Katherine Polk Failla, Dua Lipa's 2020 hit single "Levitating" has been cleared of allegations claiming it plagiarized elements from two older tracks. The lawsuit, initiated in 2022, was brought forth by songwriters L. Russell Brown and Sandy Linzer, who accused Lipa of lifting melodies from their disco song "Wiggle and Giggle All Night" and another from 1980, titled "Don Diablo."
The court determined that the alleged similarities between the songs were merely stereotypical chords and arrangements, which had also surfaced in the works of numerous notable composers, including Mozart and the Bee Gees. Judge Failla remarked that many aspects of popular music, such as a "pop with a disco feel," belong to a collective pool that cannot be owned by any one artist, lest it stifle musical innovation.
This latest verdict marks the second time Lipa has successfully defended "Levitating" from copyright claims. Earlier, she overcame a lawsuit from the Florida-based reggae band Artikal Sound System, which alleged that her song's chorus echoed their 2015 track "Live Your Life." That case was dismissed due to lack of evidence linking Lipa and her team to the original song.
Despite emerging from the most recent legal challenge unscathed, Lipa still faces a pending lawsuit from Bosko Kante, a collaborator on "Levitating." In 2023, Kante accused Lipa of misusing his vocal contribution on remix versions of the track and is seeking substantial financial restitution.
The ruling arrived on the fifth anniversary of "Levitating," which was first launched as part of Lipa’s celebrated album "Future Nostalgia." Following the decision, legal representatives for Brown and Linzer expressed their dissent and indicated plans to appeal the ruling. As of now, Dua Lipa has not publicly commented on the matter.
The court determined that the alleged similarities between the songs were merely stereotypical chords and arrangements, which had also surfaced in the works of numerous notable composers, including Mozart and the Bee Gees. Judge Failla remarked that many aspects of popular music, such as a "pop with a disco feel," belong to a collective pool that cannot be owned by any one artist, lest it stifle musical innovation.
This latest verdict marks the second time Lipa has successfully defended "Levitating" from copyright claims. Earlier, she overcame a lawsuit from the Florida-based reggae band Artikal Sound System, which alleged that her song's chorus echoed their 2015 track "Live Your Life." That case was dismissed due to lack of evidence linking Lipa and her team to the original song.
Despite emerging from the most recent legal challenge unscathed, Lipa still faces a pending lawsuit from Bosko Kante, a collaborator on "Levitating." In 2023, Kante accused Lipa of misusing his vocal contribution on remix versions of the track and is seeking substantial financial restitution.
The ruling arrived on the fifth anniversary of "Levitating," which was first launched as part of Lipa’s celebrated album "Future Nostalgia." Following the decision, legal representatives for Brown and Linzer expressed their dissent and indicated plans to appeal the ruling. As of now, Dua Lipa has not publicly commented on the matter.
