On Monday, a Los Angeles jury decided that American singer Katy Perry’s 2013 song “Dark Horse” was copied in part from a song by a Christian rap artist.
According to CNN, after a weeklong trial, The unanimous decision came from a nine-person jury, during which Katy testified about the track’s creation.
The Christian rap artist Flame, whose real name is Marcus Gray, argued that “Dark Horse” infringed on his copyright by using an underlying beat from his song “Joyful Noise” without permission. Katy’s attorneys argued, in part, that the portion in question was too common and brief to be protected by copyright.
Flame argued that his song, which was released in 2008, was popular in the Christian community and was widely available on streaming applications, meaning Katy’s producers could have heard it before starting work on her song, according to his complaint.
According to Hollywood Reporter, both Katy and her producer Dr. Luke testified that they have never heard “Joyful Noise” before.
The penalty phase of the trial will begin Tuesday to determine damages owed by Perry and her co-writers.
Ziptocrats, do you think the underlying beat is copied?