In an ongoing legal battle, Dua Lipa has won approval from a US judge to dismiss allegations of copyright infringement over her hit song 'Levitating.' The lawsuit was brought forth by songwriters L Russell Brown and Sandy Linzer in 2022, claiming that the pop star plagiarized their 1979 track "Wiggle and Giggle All Night" and the 1980 song "Don Diablo."
On Thursday, Judge Katherine Polk Failla ruled that any similarities between the songs were too generic to warrant protection under copyright law, citing that they included musical elements used by various artists throughout history, including Mozart and the Bee Gees. This is not the first time that Lipa has successfully fought plagiarism claims regarding 'Levitating'; a case from Florida band Artikal Sound System was previously dismissed after a judge found there was no evidence of "access" to their music.
However, Lipa still faces a separate lawsuit from Bosko Kante, a featured artist on 'Levitating,' who claims he was not compensated for his contributions to remixes of the track and is seeking damages of at least $2 million.
The legal endorsement coincides with the fifth anniversary of 'Levitating's' release, which became a significant milestone for Lipa. Following the decision, an attorney for Brown and Linzer expressed intentions to appeal, stating their disagreement with the ruling. Meanwhile, Dua Lipa has not yet issued a public comment regarding the latest developments in her legal battles.
On Thursday, Judge Katherine Polk Failla ruled that any similarities between the songs were too generic to warrant protection under copyright law, citing that they included musical elements used by various artists throughout history, including Mozart and the Bee Gees. This is not the first time that Lipa has successfully fought plagiarism claims regarding 'Levitating'; a case from Florida band Artikal Sound System was previously dismissed after a judge found there was no evidence of "access" to their music.
However, Lipa still faces a separate lawsuit from Bosko Kante, a featured artist on 'Levitating,' who claims he was not compensated for his contributions to remixes of the track and is seeking damages of at least $2 million.
The legal endorsement coincides with the fifth anniversary of 'Levitating's' release, which became a significant milestone for Lipa. Following the decision, an attorney for Brown and Linzer expressed intentions to appeal, stating their disagreement with the ruling. Meanwhile, Dua Lipa has not yet issued a public comment regarding the latest developments in her legal battles.
