A federal jury in Los Angeles ruled that guitarist-producer Matthew Spatola did not co-author the hit song “Savage Love” [1].
The verdict ends a legal battle over songwriting credits and royalties for the 2020 chart-topper [4]. Because music royalties can generate significant long-term revenue, the ruling protects the existing distribution of earnings for the track.
Spatola sued Jason Derulo, asserting that he contributed to the writing and production of the song [1]. He sought a share of the royalties and official credit as a co-author [2]. The case was heard in a Los Angeles federal courtroom in California [5].
During the trial, which took place in 2024 [2], the jury reviewed evidence regarding the song's creation. This evidence included a deposition video from 2024 [2]. The jury ultimately found that Spatola's contributions did not meet the legal threshold for co-authorship [1].
Derulo won the copyright and royalties trial, meaning he will not be required to share the song's earnings with Spatola [3]. The decision affirms the original authorship credits listed for the track [1].
“A federal jury in Los Angeles ruled that guitarist-producer Matthew Spatola did not co-author the hit song “Savage Love””
This ruling underscores the high legal burden required to prove co-authorship in music copyright cases. By denying Spatola's claim, the court reinforces that contributing to a production process does not automatically grant a creator a legal share of songwriting royalties unless a formal agreement or significant compositional contribution is proven.
