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US SINGER KATY Perry copied the beat of her 2013 hit Dark Horse from a Christian rap song, a Los Angeles jury has found.
The nine-member panel ruled that similarities between Perry’s song and Joyful Noise by Marcus Gray – who performs as Flame – constituted copyright infringement.
The week-long trial saw Perry take the witness stand, where she told the jury her song was an original composition and that she had never heard of the rap song.
She said her collaborators had brought her samples of short instrumental passages, which inspired the composition of Dark Horse.
Her team said that the two songs’ underlying beat was “commonplace” and therefore cannot be copyrighted.
Gray’s lawyers said the defendants had “copied an important part” of his song, referring to a 16-second instrumental phrase.
In a light-hearted moment, Perry provoked laughter after offering to perform her song live from the witness stand when the federal courtroom’s speaker system had technical difficulties.
The court will begin today determining how much Gray may be owed in damages.
Perry performed a version of Dark Horse at the 2015 Super Bowl, while Joyful Noise has been viewed more than 3 million times on YouTube.
Gray’s team first brought the litigation against Perry in 2014.
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but but but don’t most rap songs have the same few underlying beats….thats why they all sound the same…oh god I’m getting old aren’t I
@LittleBee: my first thought, rappers will now be suing other rappers. Then the country and western people will be suing each other. Lawyers heaven.
@LittleBee: it’s not just rap, there are a few bassline riffs in soul/disco music that are commonly used and every now and then, someone sues.
@James Wallace: I know right , can someone not be influenced by music without being accused of ripping it off. How many times have you sang a random melody in your head but not know where’s it’s from, maybe you made it up maybe you heard it in a lift and added the lyrics to it, something arbatory like about a lovely horse
@LittleBee: it gets better.
@Philip King ⚡️: ha ha ha thank so much I really enjoyed that….right I have my teach yourself the ukulele book…Im off to write a number one hit.
@LittleBee: writing songs is fairly easy. Writing a good and original song, not so much!
A lot of country songs have the same beat and are very similar, so many we dont know who is copying who.
@Marty from Sligo: beat has a different meaning here. It isn’t the rhythm but the sound effect too. Closer to the same rift rather than anything else
@Craic_a_tower: thanks…you are a real musician with a good ear for it…
@Marty from Sligo: Doesn’t the copyright run out after 50years, most of the country and Western stuff would predate that.
@Craic_a_tower: rift has a slightly different meaning also, assuming you mean riff, I think the word groove best describes the beat or feeling of the songs in question
Good grief. 16 seconds …
@Mandy Seiler: And dopey boy gets his 15 minutes of fame
@Cathal: how is he dopey
@wiggy: Christian rap, oxymoron if ever there was one
@Cathal: rap doesn’t have a set in stone theme. However I can’t imagine Christian being very good…
It’s not her song anyway. Her multitude of producers can be credited with that. Now they can’t even take credit.
@Liam Byrne: quick check on allmusic.com shows that she is one of 6 credited writers.
@Arthur Pewty: Writer yes. Producer no. Meaning she wrote (some) lyrics for the song. The actual music was made by producers.
@Arthur Pewty: Write a word, Get a third.. They are all at that lark.
It must have been joyful noise to Gray’s ears to hear the verdict
I can see more cases like these in the future. Since the 50′s how many music artists recording how many songs. Just by listening to songs for along time you are bound to incorporate something in your songs.
Can you sue an artist for copying his/her brush stroke?
Christian rap that’s easily the most laughable thing in this whole article
Ah the Christians will forgive her
Didn’t George Ezra have to pay royalties on Shotgun to some country and Irish singer?
Ahh yeah it is pretty similar, beat at 1 min 16 sec onwards in Katy’s video vs opening beat in rap video.
have your say