News - 23/08/2016

Demi Lovato sued by Sleigh Bells for copyright infringement

Demi Lovato sued by Sleigh Bells for copyright infringement

Back in November 2015, Sleigh Bells took on Twitter to say that US popstar Demi Lovato had sampled - without authorization - their songs “Infinity Guitars” and “Riot Rhythm” for her "Stars" track (taken from 2015's "Confident"); at the time producers Carl Falk and Rami Yacoub denied the accusation and said no samples of said songs had been used in Lovato’s track.

Now Miller and Sleigh Bells bandmate Alexis Krauss have decided to go on and sue Lovato, UMG Recordings, Falk and Yacoub for copyright infringement -  as "The Hollywood Reporter" reported. The duo filed a complaint in a Federal court in California, claiming “Stars” includes parts of “Infinity Guitars” (“Riot Rhythm” isn’t part of the lawsuit) and there has been no attempt by Lovato, the label, or the producers to clear the alleged sample.

The complaint asserted:

A comparison of the two songs reveals that, at the very least, the combination of the hand claps and bass drum, structured as 3 quarter beats and a rest, with the bass drum providing a counter-rhythm to the hand claps, is at least substantially similar in both works. This infringing material repeats throughout [‘Stars’].

And:

The similarities between "Infinity Guitars" and "Stars" transcend the realm of coincidence or shared genetic material, and inform the very essence of the works.

Krauss and Miller asked the court for monetary damage and a legal declaration that Lovato, the label, and the producers intentionally infringed on Sleigh Bells’ copyright.

Listen to the tracks below:

 

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