Dua Lipa facing second copyright lawsuit over ‘Levitating’
It comes less than a week after a Florida-based reggae band claimed she pulled material from their music for her hit song
Dua Lipa is facing a second copyright lawsuit over her single ‘Levitating’, less than a week after a Florida-based reggae band claimed that she plagiarised their material.
Last week it was reported that Artikal Sound System filed a case in a Los Angeles Court, claiming that the singer ripped the track from their 2017 song ‘Live Your Life.’
Now, Billboard reports that the singer is facing a fresh lawsuit from songwriters L. Russell Brown and Sandy Linzer, who have accused Lipa of copying their 1979 track ‘Wiggle and Giggle All Night’ and 1980 song ‘Don Diablo’.
In a complaint filed Mach 4 in Manhatten federal court, they said the opening to ‘Levitating’ was a “duplicate” of the melody in their tracks.
“Defendants have levitated away plaintiffs’ intellectual property,” lawyers for Brown and Linzer wrote in the complaint. “Plaintiffs bring suit so that defendants cannot wiggle out of their willful infringement.”
The songwriters also highlighted former press interviews with Lipa, claiming that she “admitted that she deliberately emulated prior eras”.
“In seeking nostalgic inspiration, defendants copied plaintiffs’ creation without attribution,” the complaint continued.
“The signature melody is the most listened to and recognizable part of the infringing works and plays a crucial role in their popularity,” attorneys for the songwriters wrote.
“Because video creators frequently truncate the already brief snippets of sound on TikTok, the signature melody often comprises fifty percent or more of these viral videos.”
Billboard reported that the first complaint from Artikal Sound System was “very short” and failed to elaborate on exactly how the singer had stolen the group’s song, but claimed that the similarities between the two meant it was “highly unlikely” for Lipa’s song to be “created independently”.
In December, Lipa claimed a spot in Spotify’s top five globally streamed songs, with ‘Levitating (feat. DaBaby)’ reaching fifth. Her album ‘Future Nostalgia’ came in second to Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘SOUR’ for most streamed albums globally on Spotify.
Last month, Lipa also launched the weekly free Service95 newsletter, which she says will provide insight and recommendations on style, arts and culture around the world.
The singer is currently halfway though the US leg of her ‘Future Nostalgia’ tour, which was originally postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.