Sam Smith, Normani Copyright Lawsuit Over ‘Dancing With a Stranger’ Heads to Trial
A federal judge refused to dismiss the lawsuit over the multi-platinum dance hit
A judge rules that Sam Smith and Normani must undergo a trial to determine whether their 2019 hit "Dancing With a Stranger" infringed on an earlier song by Jordan Vincent. The judge, Wesley L. Hsu, refuses to dismiss the long-running copyright case, stating that the issue of independent creation should be left for the jury to decide.
This unusual trial sets the stage for a high-profile courtroom showdown similar to other well-known cases involving song theft allegations. The song in question, "Dancing With a Stranger," reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it one of Smith's biggest hits and Normani's peak spot on the chart. Despite previous attempts to dismiss the case, the accusers were forced to prove that the two songs were strikingly similar to each other.
Written by urgent.news from Billboard's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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