Declaring that the reggae band Artikal Sound System failed to prove that the pop superstar and the creators of her hit had any access to “Live Your Life” prior to making the song, United States district court judge, Sunshine Sykes, dismissed the copyright case against Dua Lipa regarding her hit song “Levitating.“
In the ruling, per Billboard, the presiding judge wrote “These attenuated links, which bear little connection to either of the two musical compositions at issue here, also do not suggest a reasonable likelihood that defendants actually encountered plaintiffs’ song.”
Lawyers for Artikal Sound System claimed that song was available on physical CDs and streaming platforms, but the judge said that argument was “too insubstantial” to keep the suit alive, stating:
“Plaintiffs’ failure to specify how frequently they performed ‘Live Your Life’ publicly during the specified period, where these performances took place, and the size of the venues and/or audiences precludes the Court from finding that Plaintiffs’ live performances of the song plausibly contributed to its saturation of markets in which Defendants would have encountered it.”
Though the Monday (6.05) ruling dismissed the lawsuit, the reggae band could possibly refile an amended complaint by June 16.
Peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, “Levitating” was one of the standout singles from her latest album Future Nostalgia.
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Author: Saul Goode
Photo: A. Manuels