Dua Lipa Wins Copyright Case Over Levitating Initiated by Russell Brown and Sandy Linzer

Dua Lipa has triumphed in a significant copyright lawsuit regarding her hit single, "Levitating," filed by songwriters L. Russell Brown and Sandy Linzer. They accused her of copying elements from their 1979 track "Wiggle and Giggle All Night" and the 1980 song "Don Diablo." This is prepared by SSP.

Ruling in Manhattan, U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla dismissed the claims, noting that any similarities between the songs were generic, involving non-copyrightable musical elements previously used by musical legends like Mozart and the Bee Gees' "Stayin’ Alive." This dismissal is now the second time Lipa has successfully defended against such infringement allegations; a previous suit, from the Florida reggae band Artikal Sound System, was dropped due to lack of evidence. Despite this victory, Lipa is still contending with a claim from Bosko Kante, who asserts his rights concerning a "talk box" recording was used in remixes without authorization.

Brown and Linzer alleged that "Levitating's" melody duplicated parts of their work. However, Judge Failla opined that defending such broad musical characteristics, classified under themes of "pop with a disco feel," would stifle musical creativity in those genres.

Their lawyer noted a disconnect between how copyright issues are legally evaluated versus how audiences perceive music, stating their intent to appeal the decision. The ruling coincidentally aligned with the fifth anniversary of "Levitating's" original release on the acclaimed album "Future Nostalgia." Meanwhile, Lipa's representatives, including co-defendants Sony Music Publishing and Warner Records, have yet to comment publicly on the case's outcome.

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