A jury determined Katy Perry and her team copied a Christian rapper for her 2013 hit “Dark Horse.”

The lawsuit was filed in 2014 by Marcus “Flame” Gray, who accused Perry and producer Dr. Luke of copying the underlying beat of his song “Joyful Noise,” reports The Hollywood Reporter. Emanuel Lambert and Chike Ojukwu, who co-wrote the song, were co-plaintiffs.

Perry and Luke claimed they never heard of Gray or the song before “Dark Horse” was released. The pair’s attorneys argued the song’s beat was derived from fundamental elements of music, according to The Associated Press.

“They’re trying to own basic building blocks of music, the alphabet of music that should be available to everyone,” lawyer Christine Lepera said during the trial. Gray’s legal team asserted Perry and her team could have found “Joyful Noise” via Spotify and Youtube since it was widely distributed.

“They’re trying to shove Mr. Gray into some gospel music alleyway that no one ever visits,” said Michael A. Kahn, Gray’s attorney. Kahn also brought up Perry's past as a Christian singer.

At one point, there were technical difficulties when the songs were played for comparison, so Perry offered to sing live. Thankfully, the sound system was fixed and both songs were played.

In a unanimous decision, the jury ruled in Gray’s favor. The six songwriters and four corporations responsible for the creation and distribution of “Dark Horse” were all found liable for damages. This includes rapper Juicy J, who penned and spit a rap for the song.

Max Martin and Cirkut, two producers who created the beat with Luke, will also be held accountable.

The proceedings will head to the penalty phase, where a judge will determine how much money Gray should receive.

Flame

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