A federal jury ruled that pop singer Jason Derulo did not illegally withhold songwriting credit or royalty payments for the song “Savage Love” [1].
The verdict resolves a legal battle over the ownership of a global hit, establishing the boundary between creative contribution and legal entitlement to royalties in the music industry.
The decision was delivered in May 2024 [1] at the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles [1]. The lawsuit was brought by guitarist and producer Matthew Spatola, who alleged that Derulo had shut him out of the credits and financial rewards associated with the track.
According to the jury's findings, Spatola did not provide sufficient evidence to prove he contributed to the actual composition of “Savage Love” [1]. Because the evidence did not support the claim of compositional authorship, the jury concluded that Spatola was not entitled to the requested credits or royalty payments [1].
The trial focused on the distinction between producing a sound and writing a song. The proceedings in 2024 [1] examined the specific roles each party played during the creation of the music to determine if a legal partnership or co-authorship existed.
Derulo said that the songwriting credits were handled correctly. With the jury's ruling, the singer avoids a potential payout of unpaid royalties and the requirement to alter the official credits of the song [1].
“A federal jury ruled that Jason Derulo did not illegally withhold songwriting credit or royalty payments.”
This ruling underscores the high evidentiary bar required for producers to claim songwriting credits in federal court. By distinguishing between the technical production of a track and the legal composition of a song, the verdict reinforces the protection of primary songwriters against claims based on general production contributions.
