A Los Angeles federal judge has ruled that Katy Perry, along with her team, must pay $ 2.8 million in damages for plagiarizing the 2013 song "Dark Horse."
The ruling comes three days after the commission found Perry, her record label and other associates responsible for copyright infringement. Specifically, parts of the song "Dark Horse" resemble "Joyful Noise," a 2008 Christian rap song by Flame artist whose real name is Marcus Gray.
According to the ruling, Perry has to pay $ 550,000, while her record label Capitol Records owes nearly $ 1.3 million. Five associates of the popular singer who worked on the song have also been fined, including producers Max Martin, who is fined $ 253,000, and Dr. Luke, who has to pay $ 61,000, while his company, Kasz Money Inc. owes $ 189,000.
The judge also ruled that 22.5 percent of the earnings earned by the song "Dark Horse" by holding the top spot on Billboard's Hot 100 list must be credited to the song "Joyful Noise."
"Our client filed this lawsuit five years ago seeking justice and fair compensation for illegally taking his valuable creation. It was a long and arduous journey, but he did justice in the end," said Michael A. Kahn, a lawyer for Gray's artist.
Recall, the single "Dark Horse" was released in 2013 on Katy Perry's fourth studio album. This song has sold over 13 million copies and is considered one of the greatest hits of the American singer.