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Dua Lipa has secured a legal victory after a lawsuit accusing her of copyright infringement over her 2020 hit ‘Levitating’ was dismissed. The pop star had been sued in 2022 by songwriters L. Russell Brown and Sandy Linzer, who claimed she had copied elements of their songs, 1979’s ‘Wiggle And Giggle All Night’ and 1980’s ‘Don Diablo.’
The lawsuit argued that the "signature melody" of ‘Levitating’ was the most recognisable part of the song and played a key role in its success. However, last week, US Judge Katherine Polk Failla ruled that the similarities between Lipa’s song and those of Brown and Linzer were generic and based on non-copyrightable musical elements. The ruling also noted that similar melodic structures had been used by classical composers like Mozart and in popular tracks such as the Bee Gees’ 1977 hit ‘Stayin’ Alive.’
This marks the second time Lipa has successfully defended ‘Levitating’ against plagiarism claims. In a previous case, Florida reggae band Artikal Sound System alleged that she had copied the chorus of their 2015 song ‘Live Your Life.’ That lawsuit was dismissed in 2023 when a judge found no evidence that the three-time Grammy winner or her co-writers had any prior exposure to the band's music.
Despite these victories, Lipa still faces an ongoing legal challenge related to ‘Levitating.’ Producer Bosko Kante has filed a lawsuit claiming that his "talk box" recording was used in remixed versions of the song without his permission. As the case unfolds, Lipa continues to solidify her place as one of pop music’s leading artists, navigating both legal battles and chart-topping success
