Dua Lipa Settles Last 'Levitating' Copyright Lawsuit

Dua Lipa has settled the last remaining copyright lawsuit over her hit "Levitating," ending a three-year dispute with musician and producer Bosko Kante, who accused the singer and Warner Records of using his recorded performance in several remixes without permission.

Attorneys for both sides filed a joint dismissal Monday, November 9, 2026, in Los Angeles federal court, permanently closing the case. Each party agreed to cover its own legal fees and costs, while the financial terms of the settlement remain undisclosed.

Kante, a musician known for his use of the talk box, an instrument that allows performers to shape electronic sounds with their mouths, contributed a recorded part to the original version of "Levitating" in 2019. His lawsuit alleged that producer Stephen "Koz" Kozmeniuk approached him to perform on the track and that they reached an oral licensing agreement governing its use.

According to Kante, the arrangement authorized his performance only for the original recording, released in March 2020. He claimed that Lipa and her collaborators later incorporated the same material into three additional versions without obtaining his permission or providing further compensation.

Those recordings included the remix featuring DaBaby, a version by The Blessed Madonna featuring Madonna and Missy Elliott, and a performance version associated with the American Music Awards.

Kante sued in 2023, alleging copyright infringement and breach of contract. His attorneys maintained that the licensing arrangement did not extend to the subsequent releases and that the unauthorized use deprived him of compensation for his contribution.

The dispute continued after a federal judge allowed Kante's copyright infringement claim to proceed in 2024. A trial had been scheduled for March 2027 before the parties reached their agreement.

Kante's attorney, Na'il Benjamin, welcomed the resolution, saying the dispute reinforced the importance of recognizing musicians' contributions and ensuring that performers receive appropriate credit and compensation. The settlement's specific terms were not disclosed, including whether Kante will receive payment, additional royalties or changes to the song's credits.

The joint filing dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning Kante cannot bring the same claims again. The settlement does not establish that Lipa or the other parties violated copyright law or breached the alleged licensing agreement.

Kante's case was the last of three major legal disputes over "Levitating." In March 2022, Lipa faced two separate copyright lawsuits alleging that the song copied earlier recordings.

The first, brought by Florida reggae band Artikal Sound System, ended in dismissal in 2023 after a judge found the band's allegations insufficient to establish that Lipa had access to its song. A separate lawsuit by songwriters L. Russell Brown and Sandy Linzer was dismissed in 2025 after a judge determined that the shared musical elements could not support their infringement claims.