Did Demi Lovato pluck her song “Stars” from another artist’s catalog? That’s the claim made in a new copyright lawsuit filed against the former “Sonny With a Chance” star.
In the suit, indie group Sleigh Bells accuse Lovato of lifting from their 2010 song “Infinity Guitars” for “Stars.”
The suit cites a “combination of the hand claps and bass drum, structured as three quarter beats and a rest, with the bass drum providing a counter-rhythm to the hand claps,” along with other alleged similarities.
Sleigh Bells’ complaint, filed Monday in federal court in California, claims that the two songs’ similarities “transcend the realm of coincidence or shared generic material, and inform the very essence of the works.”
“Defendants did not seek or receive permission from Plaintiffs to copy, take, sample or interpolate any portion of ‘Infinity Guitars’ when creating ‘Stars,'” the suit reads. “Yet, Defendants exploited a material portion of ‘Infinity Guitars’ in constructing ‘Stars.'”
Last year, the producers of “Stars” denied that any samples were used in the song, and said that Lovato was also not involved with the production.
Alleging copyright infringement, the suit seeks unspecified damages.
A spokesperson for Lovato has not yet responded to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.
HB2: Who's Boycotting North Carolina, From Demi Lovato to Pearl Jam (Photos)
We're keeping a running count of everyone who's pulling up stakes in North Carolina to protest House Bill 2, which, among other things, says people can only use public bathrooms corresponding to heir "biological sex." Here's our complete list.
Pearl Jam cancelled their April 20 show in Raleigh via a handwritten note in which they called HB2 "a despicable piece of legislation"
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Ringo Starr scrapped a show in Cary scheduled in June. "All you need is love," he said.
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Bruce Springsteen cancelled a show in Greensboro, causing a N.C. congressman to call him a "bully."
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Bryan Adams is doubling down on the boycotts, cancelling shows in both North Carolina and Mississippi in protest of anti-LGBT laws.
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Boston won't be playing "Peace of Mind" or "More Than A Feeling" in North Carolina, cancelling the three shows they had in the state during their summer tour.
Cirque Du Soleil had planned multiple shows throughout North Carolina from April-July, but has now cancelled all of them.
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On April 5, Paypal scuttled plans to invest $3.6 million into expanding operations in North Carolina. That investment included an operations center that would have created 400 jobs.
On April 12, Deutsche Bank froze plans to add 250 jobs to its technology center in Cary.
Even porn sites are joining in on the protest. XHamster announced it would IP block any users trying to access the site from North Carolina.
Instead of cancelling his stand-up show in Durham, Joel McHale announced that he would donate all the proceeds from the show to LGBT centers in the state.
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LGBT advocate Cyndi Lauper has a similar plan. She announced that her July 4 show in Raleigh would become a rally to repeal HB2, and that the proceeds would go to organizations that would continue to protest the law.
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Lionsgate abandoned a plan to film a comedy pilot for Hulu in North Carolina, costing the state 100 jobs. The pilot is now being filmed in Vancouver.
The United Kingdom has issued travel warnings to its LGBT citizens about North Carolina's laws.
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Blue Man Group joined the boycott on Apr. 23, cancelling a set of three June shows in Charlotte.
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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says that the league may move its 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte if HB2 is not repealed.
On Apr. 28, NCAA announced that all hosts for their events, including North Carolina cities hosting future NCAA basketball tournament games, must prove their sites will be free of discrimination.
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We’re keeping a running count of everyone who’s pulling up stakes in North Carolina to protest anti-LGBT discrimination
We're keeping a running count of everyone who's pulling up stakes in North Carolina to protest House Bill 2, which, among other things, says people can only use public bathrooms corresponding to heir "biological sex." Here's our complete list.