Katy Perry Faces Allegations of Copying Lesser-Known Artists' Work.

Katy Perry is currently facing a legal battle with an up-and-coming singer who alleges that the well-known pop star plagiarized her work, according to recent reports.

Katy Perry Accused of Plagiarism in Federal Lawsuit

Court documents reviewed by Lawyer Monthly reveal that a songwriter named Michele Ronk filed a federal lawsuit against Katy (whose real name is Katheryn Hudson) on October 26, 2020. Michele initially pursued the lawsuit on her own, without legal representation. She describes herself as a singer/songwriter who has been crafting musical pieces for over ten years, with a strong commitment to advocating for mental health awareness.

Examining the Alleged Similarities

In her lawsuit, Michele claims she wrote a song called “Upgraded 2.0” back in 2014, inspired by her personal experiences and close relationships. She states that the song conveys a heartfelt narrative about overcoming a difficult past, learning valuable lessons, and ultimately transforming into a new person with the support of Jesus. Michele asserts that Katy released her song “Smile” in July 2020, which she believes bears a striking resemblance to her own track “Upgraded 2.0.”

Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom

She contends that Katy and her team never sought her permission to use her work and that she received no compensation. Michele claims that Katy’s song incorporates 12 similar story elements or lyrical phrases that contribute to the overall narrative. She argues that Katy and her team attempted to disguise the similarities by using different synonyms in the lyrics. For instance, Michele points out that her song includes the line, “I’ve been upgraded 2.0, the old me faded … I’ve been reinstated,” while Katy’s song features, “Remodeled, Used to be dull, now I sparkle.”

Additionally, Michele mentions her line, “I messed up all over the place, not knowing myself,” which parallels Katy’s lyric, “Not myself, not my best.” Michele has provided multiple examples of what she believes are direct lifts from her original work.

Katy Perry's Defense and Legal Rulings

An unidentified songwriter has filed a lawsuit seeking damages and an injunction to prevent Katy from profiting from the song. Katy and the other defendants have denied any wrongdoing. Katy's attorney stated, “[Michele] is an aspiring singer/songwriter who, like many artists, draws inspiration from her personal experiences.

While [Michele] has posted lyrics on her private Facebook page, she has not yet shared her music publicly but hopes to do so in the future.” He mentioned that Katy released her song in July 2020, which was inspired by her own journey of facing and ultimately overcoming depression. The pop star's lawyer noted that Michele resonated with the song and its character's narrative, “as many others likely did.”

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The attorney went on to explain, “however, since [Michele] had also created a song about a similar experience, Upgraded 2.0, which contained a few overlapping words with ‘Smile,’ [Michele] confused coincidence with copyright violation.” Katy’s team further contended that Michele had not adequately registered her copyright. They also pointed out that there was no proof that Katy had ever accessed Michele’s song.

In February 2022, a federal judge dismissed all allegations against Katy. The court ruling stated, “the court determines that the lyrical excerpts from ‘Upgraded 2.0’ and ‘Smile’ are not sufficiently alike to demonstrate striking similarity and a presumption of access, as a matter of law.” On October 23, Michele submitted an appeal against the decision that dismissed her case. She was represented by an attorney from Los Angeles rather than acting on her own behalf. Michele claimed that the lower court judge made mistakes in reaching the ruling. Katy has not yet replied to the appeal.

A History of Legal Challenges for Katy Perry

In 2019, a jury found Katy and Juicy J responsible for copyright infringement regarding their 2013 hit “Dark Horse.” However, the $2.8 million verdict was overturned on appeal. As previously reported by Lawyer Monthly, Katy is getting ready to testify in the second phase of her trial involving an 85-year-old disabled veteran.