Demi Lovato Accused of Stealing Song

Parts are 'virtually identical,' lawsuit says
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 23, 2016 8:47 AM CDT

Demi Lovato has been officially accused of stealing a song. The indie duo Sleigh Bells first accused Lovato more than nine months ago of ripping off parts of its 2010 song, "Infinity Guitars," in her "Stars." But now the band has filed a federal complaint about the matter, the Los Angeles Times reports. The copyright lawsuit names Lovato along with two producers and the owner of her record label, and it specifically calls out the production of the song, noting that parts of the two are "virtually identical," E! reports.

"A comparison of the two songs reveals that, at the very least, the combination of the hand claps and bass drum, structured as 3 quarter beats and a rest, with the bass drum providing a counter-rhythm to the hand claps, is at least substantially similar in both works," says the complaint, which notes that the similarities "transcend the realm of coincidence." Sleigh Bells accused Lovato of sampling "Infinity Guitars" when "Stars" first came out, and her producers denied doing so and also denied Lovato was involved in the production of the song, per the Hollywood Reporter. (More Demi Lovato stories.)

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