What were the three lawsuits filed against Dua Lipa for alleged song plagiarism?
Dua Lipa’s hit single “Levitating” from 2020 is one of her most popular songs, but it has also been the subject of controversy. The song reached No.1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Songs of 2021 and holds the record for the longest-charting song in women’s Hot 100 history. However, it has faced three lawsuits.
From March 2022 to August 2024, several artists have filed copyright infringement lawsuits against Dua Lipa, claiming she unlawfully used their music and artistry.
August 2023: Bosko Kante files multimillion-dollar lawsuit
Music producer Bosko Kante filed a copyright claim in Los Angeles seeking over $20 million from Dua Lipa and Warner Music Group. He alleged that they used his talk box recording in multiple remixes of “Levitating” without permission. Kante’s lawsuit cites agreements made with the song’s creators and seeks compensation for the remixes and performances associated with the song.
“All three remixes sampled and incorporated a greater amount of plaintiff’s work than that used in the original version. Defendants did not seek or receive authorization to use the composition or sound recording,” Kante’s lawyers claimed.
Additionally, Kante’s lawyers stated that he tried to resolve the matter without litigation, but lack of cooperation from the defendants led him to pursue legal action.
March 2022: Songwriters L Russel Brown and Sandy Linzer file lawsuit
In another lawsuit, songwriters L Russell Brown and Sandy Linzer alleged that Dua Lipa copied the opening music of “Levitating” from two of their songs. They claimed that the song’s “signature melody” was a duplicate of their songs “Wiggle and Giggle All Night” and “Don Diablo.”
The songwriters’ lawyers stated, “Defendants have levitated away plaintiffs’ intellectual property.” They also referenced interviews where Lipa admitted to drawing inspiration from historical music for her album.
March 2022: Florida reggae band sues Dua Lipa for plagiarism
The first lawsuit came from Florida-based band Artikal Sound System, who accused Dua Lipa of plagiarism. They claimed she copied their song “Live Your Life” for the central hook of “Levitating.” However, the court ruled that there was no evidence of Lipa having access to their music, and the band had to drop their case.
ALSO READ: Dua Lipa’s Third Studio Album Radical Optimism Is Here: Genre And Streaming Details Explored