Dua Lipa has been sued for copying Levitating. Again

Singer and producer Dua Lipa finds herself entangled in yet another copyright infringement lawsuit over her hit song Levitating. The latest legal trouble comes from a producer named Bosko Kante in California, who alleges that the singer and Warner Music Group unlawfully used a recording made with his talk box in remixes of the single.

What

According to the lawsuit, there was a spoken agreement between Kante and the creators of the song that his talk box recording could only be used in the original version of Levitating, and not in any subsequent remixes.

Kante is seeking more than $20 million in damages for the alleged copyright infringement on several remixes, including the one featuring rapper DaBaby and a performance by Lipa at the American Music Awards.

Lawyers for Kante claimed that he made multiple attempts to resolve the matter outside of litigation, but Lipa and the defendants were unwilling to cooperate or take responsibility for the alleged infringement of his copyrights.

However, Lipa and Warner Music argue that their deal with Kante didn't cover any further remixes beyond the original release. This dispute revolves around the question of whether Lipa and her team had the right to use Kante's talk box recording on the DaBaby remix and another version featuring Madonna and Missy Elliott.

Who is Bosko Kante?

Bosko Kante is known as a top artist on the talk box, a device that allows musicians to modify the sound of an instrument and apply speech sounds. He has contributed talk box performances to well-known artists like Kanye West and Big Boi.

In 2014, he founded ElectroSpit, a company selling a proprietary digital version of the talk box.

The suit highlights that all three remixes incorporated a larger portion of Kante's work than what was used in the original version of the song. It is asserted that Lipa and Warner Music did not seek or obtain any authorisation or permission from Kante to use his work in the remixes.

Prior Levitating troubles

This isn't the first time Levitating has been accused of getting "inspired" by other tunes.

Remember the reggae band Artikal Sound System? They thought Lipa took a little detour to their 2017 track Live Your Life for her core hook. However, the case was dropped in June 2023 when a judge ruled that there was no evidence of Lipa and the creators of Levitating having access to the earlier track, a crucial element in a copyright infringement suit.

Then there's the currently ongoing lawsuit by songwriters L Russell Brown and Sandy Linzer. They're claiming Lipa snatched the melody from their lesser-known songs, Wiggle and Giggle All Night, and Don Diablo. Lipa’s lawyers say she's got amnesia when it comes to these tracks and that she had never heard them before crafting Levitating.

As the legal battles continue, Lipa faces the challenge of defending her hit song from multiple claims of copyright infringement. The outcomes of these lawsuits will determine the extent of her liability and potential financial consequences. Until then, the situation remains complex and uncertain for the Brit-Albanian singer and those involved in the legal disputes. 

The real question is, will Levitating manage to keep its glittering reputation intact amidst all these legal notes? Only time will tell if Dua can dance her way out of these copyright entanglements or if the remixes fade away into copyright oblivion.