Dua Lipa wins second copyright lawsuit over Levitating as third legal case remains ongoing

Dua Lipa successfully defeats second copyright claim over Levitating, though a separate lawsuit is active.

Dua Lipa has won a second copyright lawsuit over her 2020 hit single Levitating, following accusations of plagiarism. The pop star was sued in 2022 by songwriters L. Russell Brown and Sandy Linzer, who claimed the track copied elements from their disco-era songs Wiggle and Giggle All Night (1979) and Don Diablo (1980).

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla dismissed the case, ruling that the similarities were too generic to qualify for copyright protection. She noted that the musical components in question had appeared in earlier works by Mozart, Gilbert and Sullivan, and the Bee Gees’ Stayin’ Alive.

This is not the first time the song has faced legal scrutiny. In 2023, a separate case brought by Florida reggae band Artikal Sound System was dropped after a judge found no evidence that Lipa or her co-writers had access to the group’s 2015 song Live Your Life—a key requirement in copyright infringement claims.

However, a third legal challenge remains. Musician Bosko Kante, who contributed talk box vocals to Levitating, filed a lawsuit in 2023 claiming his performance was used without permission in multiple remixes. Kante is seeking at least $2 million in damages, plus a share of profits from the remixes, which he estimates to be worth $20 million.

Meanwhile, Lipa continues her Radical Optimism world tour, currently performing in Australia as legal proceedings continue.