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Bill Withers Estate Sues Olivia Dean Over Song Melody
2 Oct
Summary
- A lawsuit alleges Olivia Dean's song "I've Seen It" copies Bill Withers' hit.
- The lawsuit claims substantial melodic similarities to "Just the Two of Us".
- Bleunig Music hired a musicologist to compare the two songs.
A legal battle has erupted over alleged melody infringement, with the publisher for the late R&B artist Bill Withers filing a lawsuit. Bleunig Music has initiated legal proceedings in Manhattan federal court against Olivia Dean's label, Capitol Records, its parent company Universal Music Group, and several publishing entities.
The lawsuit claims that Dean's song, "I've Seen It," released this summer, substantially copies the melody of Withers' 1980 smash hit, "Just the Two of Us." This iconic song was co-written by Withers and featured on Grover Washington Jr.'s 1980 LP "Winelight."
Upon discovering Dean's track, Bleunig Music commissioned a musicologist to analyze both songs. The expert's conclusion indicated significant similarities in the protectable musical expression, particularly in the distinctively copied melody, prompting the legal action.
