Jury Verdict is Joyful Noise

Many people see little wrong in copying the works of others.  They think that no one is really being harmed.  However, copyright law can have a substantial bite.  Christian rapper Flame (aka Marcus Tyrone Gray) was not too happy when Katy Perry’s blockbuster song Dark Horse used the same riffs and had a similar beat.  Dark Horse has sold over 13 million copies worldwide.  So, Flame sought justice in Court – filing a lawsuit for copyright infringement.  Even though the songs sound different, the jury sided with Flame, finding that Perry’s song had infringed his copyright.  The jury also awarded $2.7 million in damages.