Sam Smith and Normani
Copyright lawsuit dismissed by judge
Sam Smith and Normani performing in 2019.
© imago images/Starface
A court has dismissed a lawsuit alleging copyright infringement against Sam Smith and Normani.
Three songwriters accused Sam Smith (31) and Normani (27) last year of using one of their songs for the 2019 hit “Dancing With a Stranger”. A judge has now dismissed a corresponding lawsuit in California, as the music magazine “Rolling Stone” reports, citing available court documents.
In September 2022, Smith’s attorneys and the singer, who became known as a member of the group Fifth Harmony, asked that the bulk of an amended lawsuit alleging copyright infringement be dismissed. Jordan Vincent, Christopher Miranda and Rosco Banlaoi had accused the duo, among other things, basic elements of one of their songs to have copied from 2015. The words “dancing with a stranger” were said to have been sung over “an almost identical melody and musical composition”.
Similarities not protected by US copyright law
Before the verdict on Wednesday, the responsible judge checked whether, among other things, musical elements such as lyrics, rhythm and structure were adopted. He had decided that “most, if not all, of the similarities alleged by the plaintiffs” could not be protected. In this case, it is about “musical building blocks” that are not protected by US copyright law.
“Dancing with a stranger” is also a common formulation that cannot be protected. According to the judge’s decision, there are also references to the phrase in a good twenty previous works. The motion to dismiss had already referred to songs with appropriate titles, including the song of the same name by Cyndi Lauper (70) from 1989.