Dua Lipa Settles Copyright Lawsuit Over Levitating

NEW YORK: (Showbiz Desk) – British pop star Dua Lipa has reached a settlement in a copyright infringement and breach-of-contract lawsuit filed by music producer Bosko Kante over her hit song Levitating.

According to court documents filed on November 9, lawyers representing both sides informed the court that they had reached an agreement. The case was subsequently dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be brought again. Both parties will bear their own legal expenses and attorney fees.

However, details of the settlement, including whether Kante will receive financial compensation or songwriting credits, have not been disclosed.

Kante’s lawyer, Na’il Benjamin, confirmed the development, saying the dispute with Warner had been resolved. He maintained that Kante’s contribution to Levitating was significant and stressed the importance of recognising, crediting and fairly compensating artists involved in music production.

The lawsuit was initially filed by Kante in 2023. The producer, known for his expertise in the talk-box voice modulation technique, claimed that he was approached in 2019 by producer Stephen “Koz” Kozmeniuk to create and perform a talk-box contribution for Levitating.

According to Kante, he subsequently entered into a licensing agreement allowing his performance to be included in the original track, released on March 26, 2020. However, he argued that the agreement did not cover subsequent remixes, including the popular version featuring rapper DaBaby.

The legal dispute was among several copyright cases involving Levitating. In March 2022, Florida-based reggae band Artikal Sound System accused Dua Lipa of copying the hook of its song Live Your Life. The case was dismissed after the court found insufficient evidence that Lipa and her collaborators had heard the track.

In another lawsuit, songwriters L. Russell Brown and Sandy Linzer alleged that Levitating borrowed elements from their 1979 disco song Wiggle and Giggle All Night. That case was also dismissed, with the judge finding insufficient similarities to justify a trial.

The settlement with Kante marks another legal chapter in the controversy surrounding one of Dua Lipa’s biggest hits.