[GiRTh]

Katy Perry loses copyright case against Christian rapper Flame

Katy Perry will pay damages to a Christian rapper after a jury in California found that her song Dark Horse plagiarised one of his tracks.

In Marcus Gray, who records as Flame, and co-writers Emanuel Lambert and Chike Ojukwu of his 2008 track Joyful Noise sued Perry and five other producers and songwriters who worked on Dark Horse. Among those sued include Dr Luke and Max Martin, and rapper Juicy J.

Gray’s lawyers argued that the beat of Dark Horse had been copied from Joyful Noise, but Perry and her co-writers claimed they had never heard the track, and were not aware of Gray. But Gray’s lawyer successfully argued that Joyful Noise was a widely known song, pointing to its millions of plays on YouTube and Spotify. “They’re trying to shove Mr Gray into some gospel music alleyway that no one ever visits,” argued Michael A Kahn.

Perry’s lawyer, Christine Lepera, countered by saying Gray and his team were “trying to own basic building blocks of music, the alphabet of music that should be available to everyone”.

Gray’s lawsuit was filed in 2014, the year after the release of Dark Horse, which became one of Katy Perry’s biggest hits. It was her ninth US No 1 single, was nominated for a Grammy award and became the second-biggest-selling single worldwide in 2014. Its video has been viewed 2.6bn times on YouTube.

Although the case focused solely on the beat of Dark Horse, all six of its songwriters were judged to have infringed copyright, including lyricists Sarah Hudson and Juicy J, and all owe damages.

Perry testified during the case, and offered to perform Dark Horse in person during technical difficulties with playback of the song. The hearing over damages being awarded to Gray, Lambert and Ojukwu begins today.

Katy Perry loses copyright case against Christian rapper Flame

[GiRTh]

Youtube video

[Dogeatdog]

Sounds like Katy Perry might need a new legal team. This lawsuit just seems so unreasonable I find it baffling how KP’s legal team couldn’t convince a jury that this lawsuit was a load of crap. I mean who even were the jurors? Surely they should’ve been musicologists who can detect copyright and understand about chords, melodies etc.

Both songs sound similar but I don’t understand how they can sue her for copyright because it’s not as if she has used a sample from that record and not paid for it? I mean the “y’all know what it is” I’ve heard this in loads of records, you can’t sue someone for copyright over a similarity like that unless the recording has been directly ripped off of another song.

It seems like Flame are just trying to earn money out of another song that was more popular which has know doubt now raised his own popularity.

[Marsh.]

Perry testified during the case, and offered to perform Dark Horse in person during technical difficulties with playback of the song.

[Marsh.]

Although the case focused solely on the beat of Dark Horse, all six of its songwriters were judged to have infringed copyright, including lyricists Sarah Hudson and Juicy J, and all owe damages.

I don't know what shocks me more.

That this case wasn't thrown out of court, or that it took SIX writers to write Dark Horse.

[Greg!]

Fuming for her, the songs don’t even sound remotely the same. How can you sue someone for having a similar beat, it’s ridic. Hope Katy appeals and gets better lawyers

[MB.]

She got away with killing a nun but she can't win an infringement lawsuit?

[Greg!]

Omg I live for Katy's rivalry with Christianity The jurors probs only sided with the other group bc they were scared they would go to Hell if they didn't back the Christian rap song

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by MB.

She got away with killing a nun but she can't win an infringement lawsuit?

[JerseyWins]

Listening to Dark Horse now during these tough times