Dua Lipa "Levitating" infringement lawsuit

[friskinator]

Love Dua and this song, but wow, these 2 tunes are very, very similar. I'm predicting a settlement and/or a potential writing credit on this one.

Dua Lipa Sued for Allegedly Ripping Off 'Levitating' from Reggae Band

 

[bass12]

TMZ: "...the beat comes across as damn near the same".

But, yes, it sounds like Dua and co. might have a hard time defending that one in court.

 

[Nuage420]

Oh wow... I love that song and Dua. But I think I know how this is going to go

 

[4SG]

Well, @friskinator, you're probably right that the matter will be settled. But that's because lawsuits are expensive, aggravating, uncertain and time-consuming. In this case, while the tunes sound similar, the basic structure is super common. If I were defending the case I'd argue that the progression is a scène à faire, i.e. so common that no one can claim ownership or origination. This typically requires an expert musicologist presenting multiple examples of songs with the same chord progression. However, it's filed in the federal court in Los Angeles and judges here see so many of these claims that this one might be killed off by a dispositive motion.

 

[friskinator]

TMZ: "...the beat comes across as damn near the same".

But, yes, it sounds like Dua and co. might have a hard time defending that one in court.

Right - like the "beat" is the issue. Go figure.

I normally roll my eyes with a lot of these suits, but I can't do that here.

 

[fretlessbass]

I had to learn her song for a wedding band gig a while back; kept thinking that I knew this song—just that it wasn’t quite how I remembered it:
Now I know why!

 

[JRA]

the beat and the changes are irrelevant, but the melody sure makes a case!

 

[Michedelic]

All that kind of stuff sounds the same, it’s about as vapid as Ace Of Base was decades ago. You can sue for beat infringement now?

 

[friskinator]

All that kind of stuff sounds the same, it’s about as vapid as Ace Of Base was decades ago. You can sue for beat infringement now?

I disagree. I’m a fan of a lot of this type of music, so I guess vapid is in the ear of the beholder.

I didn’t post this to debate whether or not the song is good. Just to discuss the lawsuit.

 

[turf3]

Yawwn.

If it wasn't for the little "rap-lite" interlude I'd swear it was 1975 all over again, complete with fake synthesized handclaps! Frankly there's so little musical content there that practically anyone who's ever written a song in English could probably make a case for similarity.

 

[cnltb]

worst thing about it...I can't unhear that.

 

[Mechanical]

One thing that's a certainty, nobody on DL's team ever heard that band or that song.

Doubtful.

 

[klejst]

 

[bass12]

12 notes. Good luck. Nothing against an obscure bottom market cracker "reggae" band from Florida who's very essence is copying and cultural appropriation, even their name is a cheeky take on another more popular band. Good luck. If you win (settle) maybe you'll get better gigs for 3 months.

One thing that's a certainty, nobody on DL's team ever heard that band or that song.

By "cultural appropriation" I assume you mean a Brit playing disco.

And these days you can never be certain of what people may or may not have heard. I mean, Tiga?

 

[Ewo]

Dunno. The beats sound distinctly different to me. None of that reggae swing feel in Dua Lipa's tune.

 

[gln1955]

Pretty much any song, if you dig deep enough you can find something that sounds very similar.

 

[Johnny Fingers]

Same, not similar. Looks like an open and shut case.

 

[Joe Nerve]

At work and can't listen but can't wait to hear it later. We do that song. Just made a live promo video a few weeks ago which will be coming out any day now. That's in it. So is Don't Start Now. And a handful of other great tunes. And yes, of course I'll be posting it .

 

[scott sinner]

Yes they sound similar, but the melodies in both are so simple, I have a hard time arguing this is a copy.

 

[WillyW]

"Taurus likes this thread"