She may have tried to crack jokes in order to lighten the mood in the courtroom, but that didn't help Katy Perry's case. The pop singer, along with her label Capitol Records, were named in a lawsuit by a group of Christian artists who alleged that Perry ripped off their 2009 song "Joyful Noise" when she made her hit 2013, Juicy J-assisted single "Dark Horse." The unique production of Perry's track is unforgettable, and rapper Flame, real name Marcus Gray, and his two co-writers Emanuel Lambert and Chike Ojukwuhis, sued Perry for copyright infringement for nabbing the core aspect of their beat.
After years of battling out the issue in court, The Blast reports that a jury has found Perry and Capitol Records liable and decided that they need to pay damages to Flame, Lambert, and Ojukwuhis. The "Dark Horse" beat was created by Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Cirkut, and Perry's lawyer tried to argue that his client had never heard of Flame. However, with Perry's widely publicized rise to stardom in the Christian music arena, it was disputed that she may have come across his songs during that time.
Just how much Perry and her label will have to cough up has yet to be determined, but that is sure to be resolved in the coming days. Perry performed the song at the 2014 Grammy Awards and "Dark Horse" was nominated the following year for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. With over 13 million sales, the single was the second best-selling track of 2014. Compare both tracks for yourself below.