The ruling marks the second legal victory for Lipa over her 2020 hit.
Dua Lipa Triumphs in Levitating Copyright Dispute
Dua Lipa Triumphs in Levitating Copyright Dispute
Judge rules against plagiarism claims from songwriters Brown and Linzer.
Dua Lipa has successfully defended herself against allegations of copyright infringement regarding her smash hit "Levitating." The lawsuit, spearheaded by songwriters L. Russell Brown and Sandy Linzer, claimed that Lipa's song borrowed elements from their disco tracks, "Wiggle and Giggle All Night" (1979) and "Don Diablo" (1980). However, US Judge Katherine Polk Failla presided over the case and decided that the similarities were too generic, as they included common musical features that have appeared in compositions from notable artists—like Mozart and the Bee Gees’ "Stayin' Alive."
This court decision follows a previous victory for Lipa, who faced another lawsuit from Florida-based reggae band Artikal Sound System in 2022. They alleged that Lipa plagiarized the chorus from their 2015 song "Live Your Life," but their case was ultimately dismissed earlier this year, due to a lack of evidence showing Lipa had access to the prior work—an essential component of copyright claims.
Despite these victories, Lipa is still contending with a third litigation from Bosko Kante, who contributed vocals to "Levitating" through talk box technology. He filed a lawsuit in 2023, asserting that his contributions were misappropriated in remixes of the hit, seeking damages that could reach upwards of $2 million, in addition to a claim on the estimated $20 million in profits from those remixes.
Interestingly, the announcement of this ruling coincided with the fifth anniversary of "Levitating's" release as a track on Lipa's widely acclaimed album "Future Nostalgia." In response to the decision, lawyers for Brown and Linzer have expressed their intention to appeal, emphasizing their disagreement with the ruling. The BBC has requested a comment from Dua Lipa regarding the ongoing legal matters.
This court decision follows a previous victory for Lipa, who faced another lawsuit from Florida-based reggae band Artikal Sound System in 2022. They alleged that Lipa plagiarized the chorus from their 2015 song "Live Your Life," but their case was ultimately dismissed earlier this year, due to a lack of evidence showing Lipa had access to the prior work—an essential component of copyright claims.
Despite these victories, Lipa is still contending with a third litigation from Bosko Kante, who contributed vocals to "Levitating" through talk box technology. He filed a lawsuit in 2023, asserting that his contributions were misappropriated in remixes of the hit, seeking damages that could reach upwards of $2 million, in addition to a claim on the estimated $20 million in profits from those remixes.
Interestingly, the announcement of this ruling coincided with the fifth anniversary of "Levitating's" release as a track on Lipa's widely acclaimed album "Future Nostalgia." In response to the decision, lawyers for Brown and Linzer have expressed their intention to appeal, emphasizing their disagreement with the ruling. The BBC has requested a comment from Dua Lipa regarding the ongoing legal matters.
