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Sam Smith and Normani’s Copyright Lawsuit Win Over “Dancing With a Stranger” Is Overturned

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has been warning against the premature dismissal of idea theft lawsuits, emboldening creators to take to court.

A federal appeals court has revived a copyright infringement lawsuit against Sam Smith and Normani that claimed their multiplatinum hit “Dancing with a Stranger” ripped off a 2015 song of an identical name. The reversal reinforces the appeals courts’ position in recent years warning against the early dismissal of copyright infringement lawsuits over creative works that’s emboldened creators and holders of rights to sue for idea theft. A California federal court judge in 2023 dismissed the case, finding that the songs aren’t substantially similar to one another and that the phrase “dancing with a stranger” isn’t protected by copyright law.

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