Dua Lipa emerges victorious as copyright infringement lawsuit against ‘Levitating’ gets dropped
In a recent court ruling, British pop sensation Dua Lipa, along with songwriters Clarence Coffee Jr., Sarah Hudson, and Stephen Kozmeniuk, as well as Warner Records, celebrated a significant win as a federal court in Los Angeles dropped a copyright infringement lawsuit against them.
In a recent court ruling, British pop sensation Dua Lipa, along with songwriters Clarence Coffee Jr., Sarah Hudson, and Stephen Kozmeniuk, as well as Warner Records, celebrated a significant win as a federal court in Los Angeles dropped a copyright infringement lawsuit against them.
The lawsuit alleged that Lipa’s hit song “Levitating” had copied elements from a 2017 song called “Live Your Life” by the Florida reggae group Artikal Sound System.
The U.S. District Judge Sunshine Sykes granted the famous singer’s motion to dismiss the case on Monday, stating that Artikal Sound System failed to provide sufficient evidence that the writers of “Levitating” had access to their song.
Despite the group’s claims that the song was available on streaming platforms and had been performed live in Florida, the judge found these arguments to be unsubstantiated.
The court deemed Artikal Sound System’s allegations regarding the frequency and location of their performances, as well as the number of CD sales, as vague and insufficient.
However, the honourable judge did grant Artikal Sound System the option to file a new amended complaint by June 16, providing them with an opportunity to strengthen their case.
The group had initially sought profits from “Levitating,” along with damages, in their 2022 court documents.
This dismissal marks a temporary victory for the ‘One Kiss’ singer and the other defendants in the lawsuit.
Charges still remain
Lipa still faces another copyright infringement lawsuit related to “Levitating.” Songwriters L. Russell Brown and Sandy Linzer claimed last year that the 27-year-old singer had copied their songs “Wiggle and Giggle All Night” from 1979 and “Don Diablo” from 1980, which they acquired the copyright for after filing a similar claim.
The ongoing case also includes rapper DaBaby, who featured on the remix of “Levitating.”
Despite the legal challenges, “Levitating” has been a tremendous success for Dua Lipa. The track reached the top spot on Billboard’s 2021 year-end Hot 100 Songs chart after spending an impressive 68 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
As the legal dispute continues, the ‘Be the One’ performer remains focused on her music career, captivating audiences with her unique sound and infectious hits.
The dismissal of the lawsuit provides some respite for the singer and her collaborators, allowing them to continue creating and entertaining their fans around the world.
Notably, while this particular lawsuit has been dropped, the outcome of the ongoing copyright infringement case involving the other songwriters and DaBaby remains to be seen.