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Jury: Katy Perry’s ‘Dark Horse’ Ripped Off Christian Rap Song

A federal jury found that all six songwriters and all four corporations that released and distributed the song were liable for copyright infringement.

A jury unanimously found Monday that Katy Perry’s 2013 single “Dark Horse” copied portions of a 2009 Christian rap song. Nine members of a federal jury in Los Angeles found that all six songwriters and all four corporations that released and distributed the song were liable for copyright infringement. Capitol Records, along with Perry’s producers, Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Cirkut, were also found liable. Plaintiffs Marcus Gray and two co-authors filed the lawsuit more than five years ago, alleging “Dark Horse” stole from “Joyful Noise,” a song Gray released under the stage name Flame. “Dark Horse” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks in 2014 and earned Perry a Grammy nomination. The case now goes to a penalty phase, and damages are expected to be announced Tuesday.