Dua Lipa is facing a multi-million copyright lawsuit over her popular track Levitating.
The 27-year-old is being sued for $20 million (£15.7 million) over claims she was never given permission to use a musician’s “talk box” recording in the 2020 track.
Music producer Bosko Kante claims three remixes of Dua’s song Levitating featured his recording, which infringed his copyright.
According to the lawsuit, music producer Stephen Kozmeniuk approached him in 2019 about creating a Talk Box recording for the 2020 track.
Mr Kante cites an alleged spoken agreement that only the section of the recording could be used in the original recording of Levitating, not on remixes.
The music producer alleges Dua reused the “talk box” recording without permission on remixes by The Blessed Madonna, DaBaby and one which Dua performed live.
Mr Kante claims he created the ElectroSpit Talk Box – a device worn around the neck and connected to a phone or synthesiser which can turn vocal vibrations into instrument-like noises.
Mr Kante states he has played the Talk Box on tracks by well-known rappers such as Kanye West and J Cole.
The music producer’s case is the third lawsuit brought against Dua for Levitating (2020).
In March 2022, Artikal Sound System, a reggae band in Florida, brought a lawsuit against the singer, alleging the song copied the hook of their 2017 track Live Your Life; this was dismissed in June.
In an ongoing case, songwriters L Russell Brown and Sandy Linzer claim Dua used their melody from the 1979 sing Wiggle And Giggle All Night for the 2020 track.
