Lady Gaga has claimed $1.4 million in legal costs following a failed plagiarism lawsuit against her, TMZ reports.
Gaga was sued by Chicago-based musician Rebecca Francescatti who said she stole her 1999 song “Juda” for her 2011 song “Judas.” But U.S. District Judge Marvin E. Aspen decided that Francescatti had failed to prove the alleged similarities between the two works.
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The judge wrote at the time: “We conclude as a matter of law that the two songs are not substantially similar. No reasonable trier of fact could find that defendants copied protected expression in Francescatti’s song. The songs do not ‘share enough unique features to give rise to a breach of the duty not to copy another’s work.’ Accordingly, we grant defendant’s motion for summary judgement.”
Now, according to TMZ, Gaga has filed papers demanding close to $1.4 million paid to her attorneys during the three years the case was in trial.
Papers obtained by TMZ show that Gaga, 28, is demanding that has requested Francescatti cover her legal costs.
In his ruling, the Judge established that a similar title and similar musical notes “are not sufficient to give rise to a finding that the Gaga song has captured the total concept and feel of the Francescatti song.”
Here are cuts from the two songs, you be the judge. It appears to us that the judge was right:
