An american rapper of gospel music, who accused the singer Katy Perry of plagiarism, has been awarded the award Thursday of $ 2.7 million in damages by a federal jury, the last arm of iron at the date on the copyright to shake the music industry. The pop singer has been forced to pay a little more than $ 550,000 to Marcus Gray – Flame of his artist name – once the jury has determined that a “beat” used in his song Dark Horse in 2013 amounted to an infringement of copyright.

This decision comes after several days of trial in Los Angeles, at which Katy Perry has stated that he never heard the song rap 2009 Marcus Gray, entitled Joyful Noise. The representatives of the singer have immediately indicated a wish to appeal, claiming that it was a “travesty of justice”. Lawyers of the rapper had requested a compensation much higher, around $ 20 million. “These defendants have earned millions and millions of dollars by this violation of the song of the complainant”, has told the Court his lawyer, Michael Kahn.

A history of pace

During the trial, the advice of Katy Perry had argued that the underlying pace of the two songs was “trivial”, and could therefore not enter in the field of copyright. But lawyers for Mr. Gray cited “a significant portion” of his song “copied”, referring to a phase-instrumental 16 seconds.

Capitol Records, the record label of Katy Perry, will pay $ 1.2 million in damages and interest. And its producers will also have to pay.

The singer, known worldwide for his hit I Kissed a Girl , had performed her song Dark Horse at the Super Bowl 2015, the final of american Football. The song Joyful Noise , of Flame has been viewed nearly 4 million times on YouTube. Marcus Gray was accused Katy Perry of plagiarism as early as 2014.

The litigation rights of the author have multiplied in recent years in the United States. The most iconic remains the conviction of Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams for the tube Blurred lines (2013), accused of infringing the copyrights of Marvin Gaye for his legendary 1977, Got to give it up.

● The video clip of the Joyful Noise, Flame