Jury: Katy Perry Copied Christian Rap Song On 'Dark Horse'

Katy Perry (credit: Shutterstock.com)

Multiple media sources are reporting that a jury has found that KATY PERRY's 2013 hit "Dark Horse" improperly ripped off a 2009 Christian rap song,  "Joyful Noise," by MARCUS GRAY and two co-authors. Next up is the penalty phase, determining how much PERRY and other defendants will owe, YAHOO NEWS reports.

The decision by a nine-member federal jury in a LOS ANGELES courtroom came five years after MARCUS GRAY and two co-authors first sued, his attorney claiming that the beat and instrumental line featured through nearly half of "Dark Horse" are substantially similar to those of "Joyful Noise."

PERRY and the song's co-authors, including her producer DR. LUKE, testified that none of them had heard the song or heard of GRAY; in fact they didn't listen to Christian music. However, GRAY's attorneys only needed to demonstrate that "Joyful Noise" had wide dissemination -- it had millions of plays on YOUTUBE and SPOTIFY, plus was nominated for a GRAMMY -- and could have been heard by PERRY and her co-authors.

Jurors heard both songs played back-to-back in their entirety at the end of closing arguments last  week.

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