Katy Perry suggests impromptu court gig as she fights plagiarism case

Pop superstar Katy Perry offered to sing live in the witness box of an LA courtroom as she fought a lawsuit from Christian rappers over one of her chart-topping hits.

She is accused of plagiarising the beat for 2013 hit Dark Horse, and appeared in court yesterday to defend the way the song was made.

During 25 minutes of testimony, a technical fault prevented the song from being played to the jury.

Perry drew laughter when she suggested: “I could perform it for you live.”

The star, with four others, is facing a multi-million-dollar lawsuit brought by rappers Flame and Da’ T.R.U.T.H. and beats creator Chike Ojukwu, who say Dark Horse is a rip-off of their 2007 Grammy-nominated gospel song Joyful Noise.

The rappers claim damage from the copyright infringement was made worse by Perry’s music video for Dark Horse, which they say included occult themes which damaged their standing in the Christian music world.

Perry told the court that her co-writers on Dark Horse, Dr Luke and producer Cirkut, had not lifted the beat from the internet. She described being drawn to the beat because of “the kind of dark feeling” it inspired.

Perry said the song was written in four hours in a music studio in Santa Barbara.

Perry and her co-defendants, including rapper Juicy J who features on the track, deny the claims against them.

The trial, which is expected to last two weeks, continues.