From Music Business Worldwide · · 1m 50s
Bill Withers Publisher Sues UMG, Sony, Kobalt Over Song Copy
Bill Withers' publisher claims Olivia Dean's song copies his 1981 hit melody.
In brief
Bill Withers' publisher claims Olivia Dean's song copies his 1981 hit melody. Mattie Music Group sues UMG, Sony, and Kobalt for allegedly copying Bill Withers' melody in Olivia Dean's song. Originally reported by Music Business Worldwide.
Bill Withers' publisher sues
Mattie Music Group, which does business as Bleunig Music, claims Olivia Dean’s I’ve Seen It copies the melody of Just the Two of Us, the 1981 hit co-written by Withers.
Original Work and Infringing Work
The complaint describes Just the Two of Us as the 'Original Work' and Dean’s song as the 'Infringing Work' with substantial melody similarities.
Defendants in lawsuit
The suit targets Capitol Records, UMG, Sony Publishing (US) LLC, and Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc. as the companies behind the song.
Song release details
I’ve Seen It is the closing track on Dean’s second album, The Art of Loving, released by Capitol on or about September 26, 2025.
Copyright claim timeline
Mattie Music Group sent written notice to defendants on or about August 17, 2026, identifying copyright registration for Just the Two of Us and musical similarities.
Infringement claims
The publisher alleges Defendants continued reproducing, distributing, licensing, and exploiting the song after receiving notice of infringement.
Willful infringement
Mattie Music Group claims the infringement by defendants was willful and seeks statutory damages up to $150,000 per work.
Song background
Just the Two of Us was co-written by Bill Withers in 1981 and reached No. 2 on Billboard, winning a Grammy for Best R&B Song.
Dean’s recent success
Dean won the Grammy for Best New Artist in February 2026 and was among UMG’s top sellers in Q4 2025.
Legal precedent
In June 2025, the US Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from Structured Asset Sales claiming Ed Sheeran copied Marvin Gaye’s song.
The one thing
Mattie Music Group sues UMG, Sony, and Kobalt for allegedly copying Bill Withers' melody in Olivia Dean's song.
