The legal action was initiated by Mattie Music Group, the entity managing the late singer’s catalogue. According to court filings reviewed by the media, the organization engaged a musicologist to perform a comparative analysis of the two tracks. The expert concluded that the compositions share substantial similarities, specifically alleging a pattern of repeated melody copying. The plaintiffs assert that these overlapping musical features are too distinct to be coincidental. British pop star Olivia Dean has been accused of copying the melody of Bill Withers’ soul classic Just The Two of Us in a legal case filed in California.
To establish a claim of plagiarism, Mattie Music Group is tasked with proving that the songwriters had previous access to the original work. In their filing, they argue that the sustained and widespread commercial success of the 1981 classic, coupled with decades of radio exposure, provided the songwriters with a reasonable opportunity to have encountered the composition before drafting I’ve Seen It.
The lawsuit targets Dean’s record label, Capitol Records, its parent company Universal Music Group, and her publishing firms. Notably, the legal action does not seek damages from the singer herself, nor does it name her co-writers, Bastian Langebæk and Max Wolfgang, as defendants. The publishers claim they notified the record label regarding the alleged infringement in August; however, they report that the track remains available for distribution. Taken from her Brit Award-winning 2025 album The Art of Loving, the complaint centres around Dean’s song I’ve Seen It.
As of now, the defendants have not issued a formal response to the claims. Requests for comment sent to both the companies involved and representatives for the artist have yet to result in a statement regarding the ongoing dispute.
