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PEOPLE & ARTS Wednesday 31 July 2019
Jury to decide damages owed by Katy Perry for 'Dark Horse'

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A tion represent the kind of
jury's verdict that Katy Per- simple musical elements
ry's 2013 hit "Dark Horse" that if found to be subject
improperly copied a 2009 to copyright would hurt
Christian rap song repre- music and all songwriters.
sents a rare takedown of a "They're trying to own ba-
pop superstar and her elite sic building blocks of mu-
producer by a relatively un- sic, the alphabet of music
known artist, and sets up a that should be available
battle over damages that to everyone," Perry's law-
will begin Tuesday. yer Christine Lepera said
Monday's unanimous ver- during closing arguments
dict by a nine-member Thursday.
federal jury in a Los Angeles The defendants' musical
courtroom came five years expert testified that the
after Marcus Gray and two musical patterns in dispute
co-authors, first sued in were as simple as "Mary
2014 alleging "Dark Horse" Had a Little Lamb."
stole from "Joyful Noise," a But the jury of six women
song Gray released under and three men disagreed,
the stage name Flame. finding that the bumping
The penalty phase is beat and riff at the center
scheduled begin Tuesday of "Joyful Noise" were origi-
with opening arguments, nal enough to be copy-
and will ultimately deter- righted.
mine how much Perry and Perry and the song's co-
other defendants owe for This April 11, 2019 file photo shows Katy Perry at the 10th annual DVF Awards at the Brooklyn Mu- authors testified during the
copyright infringement. seum in New York. seven-day trial that none of
Testimony will give jurors Associated Press them had heard the song
a peek into the finances or heard of Gray before the
behind "Dark Horse," a hit its lyrics or recording, and the rap he provided for the lar to those of "Joyful Noise." lawsuit, nor did they listen
single that earned Perry a the questions suggested song. Perry was not present Gray wrote the song with to Christian music.
Grammy nomination and that Perry might be off the when the verdict was read. his co-plaintiffs Emanuel Gray's attorneys had only
was the second song in her hook. Other defendants found li- Lambert and Chike Ojuk- to demonstrate, howev-
elaborate 2015 Super Bowl But in a decision that left able were Capitol Records wu. er, that "Joyful Noise" had
halftime performance. many in the courtroom as well as Perry's producers: "Dark Horse," a hybrid of wide dissemination and
Questions from the jury dur- surprised, jurors found all Dr. Luke, Max Martin and pop, trap and hip-hop could have been heard by
ing two days of delibera- six songwriters and all four Cirkut, who came up with sounds that was the third Perry and her co-authors.
tions had suggested that corporations that released the song's beat. single of Perry's 2013 album They provided as evidence
they might find only some and distributed the songs Gray's attorneys argued "Prism," spent four weeks that it had millions of plays
of the defendants liable for were liable, including Perry that the beat and in- atop the Billboard Hot 100 on YouTube and Spotify,
copyright infringement. The and Sarah Hudson, who strumental line featured in early 2014. and that the album it's in-
case focused on the notes wrote only the song's words, through nearly half of "Dark Her attorneys argued that cluded on was nominated
and beats of the song, not and Juicy J, who only wrote Horse" are substantially simi- the song sections in ques- for a Grammy.q

"Transparent" musical finale gives cast a chance to heal

By KATIE CAMPIONE that's what we have to do." finale, which debuts Sept.
Associated Press Soloway joined sibling and 27, concludes a series that
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Wrap- executive producer Faith broke barriers with its repre-
ping up five seasons of an Soloway, as well as the cast sentation of LGBTQ charac-
award-winning series with of the Amazon series, dur- ters on screen. The show ex-
a musical is a risk that only ing a Television Critics As- its the television scene with
Amazon's "Transparent" sociation meeting to talk others in its wake, including
could take. about the fitting conclusion Ryan Murphy's award-win-
Risks are part of the show's for the characters as they ning "Pose."
DNA, said series creator mourn the loss of one of the While Jill Soloway said they
Jill Soloway. "We were all show's central characters. don't take responsibility for
just kind of flying in our risk The finale begins with the the push toward more rep-
spaces," Soloway said of death of Maura, played by resentation on screen, they
creating the finale, "and to- Jeffrey Tambor, who left the are grateful to have been
day, we are still flying in our show last year after allega- a part of that conversation.
risk spaces by having made tions of sexual harassment "I feel more like a child in
a musical as a way to say on set. Approaching the Faith Soloway, left, and Jill Soloway participate in the Amazon awe than parental. I came
farewell to this family." death of Tambor's charac- Prime Video "Transparent" panel at the Television Critics Asso- to all of this so late in my
ciation Summer Press Tour on Saturday, July 27, 2019, in Beverly
Actor Jay Duplass added ter with a musical gave the Hills, Calif. life. I wasn't even queer un-
that, after several seasons cast a creative outlet to Associated Press til my late 40s," Jill Soloway
of pushing boundaries, also mourn their own loss, said. "So I couldn't take re-
upon hearing the idea he Jill Soloway said. ators, we're mourning what bor's exit, adding: "It was a sponsibility for this revolu-
thought: "That's nuts, and "Our cast is mourning Mau- happened with our show," chance to heal together." tion. I have always felt just
it totally makes sense, and ra, and as actors and cre- Jill Soloway said on Tam- The "Transparent" musical in awe."q