Dua Lipa Prevails in Copyright Dispute Over 'Levitating'

In a significant legal victory, Dua Lipa has been cleared of plagiarism claims related to her chart-topping single, 'Levitating', as a judge rules the musical elements cited are too generic to warrant copyright protection.

Dua Lipa has emerged victorious in a copyright lawsuit that accused her of copying aspects of her famous track 'Levitating' from two earlier songs. The lawsuit was filed by songwriters L. Russell Brown and Sandy Linzer in 2022, who claimed that Lipa had borrowed from their disco track 'Wiggle and Giggle All Night' (1979) and 'Don Diablo' (1980).

On Thursday, US District Judge Katherine Polk Failla dismissed the case, stating that the similarities between the songs were not unique enough to warrant copyright protection. The judge noted that the elements that were cited as having been plagiarized have been utilized in various forms by several artists, including classical composers like Mozart and popular acts like the Bee Gees in their iconic song 'Stayin' Alive.'

This ruling marks the second time Lipa has successfully defended 'Levitating' in a court of law. Previously, she faced accusations from the Florida reggae band Artikal Sound System, who claimed that her song's chorus bore resemblance to their 2015 track 'Live Your Life.' However, that case was dismissed in 2023 after it was determined that there was insufficient evidence demonstrating that Lipa or her co-writers had prior access to the original song.

Despite her recent legal wins, Dua Lipa's challenges are not entirely over. She is still contending with a lawsuit from musician Bosko Kante, who provided vocals for 'Levitating' using a talk box. Kante is seeking over $2 million in damages, alleging that his contribution was used in various remixes of the song without his permission. He estimates that profits from those remixes could total around $20 million.

Brown and Linzer argued that Lipa had copied the opening melody of 'Levitating,' where she invites listeners to join her on a cosmic adventure. In her ruling, Judge Failla emphasized that the musical style described by the plaintiffs as a "pop with a disco feel" cannot be protected, stating that to do otherwise would hinder the evolution of music within that genre.

Interestingly, this ruling coincides with the fifth anniversary of 'Levitating's' initial release as part of Lipa's acclaimed album 'Future Nostalgia'. Following the judge's decision, lawyers for Brown and Linzer expressed their intention to appeal, stating they "respectfully disagreed" with the outcome. The BBC has reached out to Dua Lipa's representatives for a statement regarding this ongoing saga.