Pop superstar Dua Lipa has emerged victorious in another legal battle over her chart-topping song "Levitating," as a US court dismissed claims of copyright infringement.
US Judge Katherine Polk Failla rejected allegations from songwriters L. Russell Brown and Sandy Linzer that Lipa's 2020 hit copied elements from their tracks "Wiggle and Giggle All Night" (1979) and "Don Diablo" (1980).
The plaintiffs had argued that "Levitating's" opening melody was a "duplicate" of their work, specifically pointing to the line "If you wanna run away with me, I know a galaxy and I can take you for a ride."
However, Judge Failla determined that the musical similarities were too common to warrant copyright protection, noting that comparable elements appeared in works ranging from Mozart to the Bee Gees. She emphasized that protecting such generic musical components would restrict creative development in the disco-pop genre.
This marks Lipa's second legal win regarding "Levitating." In 2023, she successfully defended against claims from Florida reggae band Artikal Sound System, who alleged the song copied their track "Live Your Life."
While this latest ruling strengthens Lipa's position, the British singer-songwriter still faces one pending lawsuit. Musician Bosko Kante is seeking over $2 million in damages, claiming his talk-box vocals were used without authorization in "Levitating" remixes.
Brown and Linzer's legal team has expressed disagreement with the court's decision and indicated plans to appeal the ruling.
"Levitating" appeared on Lipa's 2020 album "Future Nostalgia" and became a global sensation, with its remixes reportedly generating around $20 million in profits.