American Idol judge Katy Perry just scored a big win in a copyright infringement case over one of her songs. A jury previously ruled that she had plagiarized part of the song “Dark Horse.”
Katy appealed that decision, and this week a judge overruled it. Read on to find out more about the case, and who originally sued Katy over the song.
Watch Katy Perry’s music video for “Dark Horse.”
Katy Perry Wins Plagiarism Case
Katy was sued by Christian rapper Flame (aka Marcus Gray), who claimed that Katy’s 2013 song “Dark Horse” plagiarized part of his own 2009 song “Joyful Noise.” According to The Wrap, a jury ruled in favor of Marcus last July.
However, on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder overruled that decision. She ruled that the eight-note section in question wasn’t original enough to be protected under copyright law.
Marcus Gray reportedly plans to appeal the decision. His win last year awarded him $2.78 million from Katy and her collaborators, Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Circuit. He had sought $20 million.
Compare Katy’s “Dark Horse” to Flame’s “Joyful Noise.”
How Much Money Did Katy Have To Pay?
Katy Perry testified at the trial for the case, where she jokingly offered to perform the song live in the courtroom when there were technical difficulties with the recording. She and her co-writers said they had never even heard “Joyful Noise.”
The singer was personally ordered to pay $550,000 after last year’s decision. Defense attorney Christine Lepera praised the judge’s latest ruling, telling Variety, “This an important victory for music creators and the music industry, recognizing that music building blocks cannot be monopolized. The creators of ‘Dark Horse’ stand vindicated.”
“Dark Horse,” featuring Juicy J, was the first promotional single for Katy’s fourth studio album Prism. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2014.
Words by:
Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
