California Court: Bill Withers Publisher Files Copyright Suit Against Olivia Dean

The Mattie Music Group, doing business as Bleunig Music, filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in California on October 2, 2026, against Capitol Records, Universal Music Group, Sony, and others, alleging that Olivia Dean's song "I've Seen It" infringes on the melody of Bill Withers' "Just the Two of Us."

The lawsuit details that Mattie Music Group, identified as the copyright proprietor of the iconic 1981 hit "Just the Two of Us," initiated legal action claiming that the melody of Olivia Dean's track, featured on her September 2025 album "The Art of Loving," copies a "distinctively protectable melody" from their classic song. The plaintiff asserts that upon multiple listenings, their representatives concluded that "I've Seen It" copied a "large and significant part" of the original work, constituting a clear infringement. Notably, while major record companies are named as defendants, Olivia Dean and her co-writers, Bastian Langebaek and Max Wolfgang, are explicitly not named in this particular suit.

This case highlights the persistent and often complex challenges within music copyright law, particularly concerning the threshold for actionable melodic similarity and infringement. For legal practitioners in the music industry, this underscores the critical importance of rigorous copyright clearance processes, pre-release legal reviews, and expert musicological analysis to identify and mitigate potential resemblances between new compositions and existing works. The strategic decision to target major record labels as defendants, rather than the artists or composers directly, also reflects a common litigation tactic where entities with deeper financial resources are pursued for alleged infringements.

The legal context for this dispute is federal copyright law, specifically the Copyright Act of 1976 (17 U.S.C. § 101 et seq.), which protects original musical compositions. To prevail, the Mattie Music Group must prove ownership of a valid copyright and demonstrate that the defendants copied protectable elements of "Just the Two of Us." This typically involves showing both access to the original work and substantial similarity between the protectable elements of the two songs. The claim of copying a "distinctively protectable melody" suggests the plaintiff will focus on specific, unique musical phrases rather than generic or common musical tropes. The case is proceeding in a federal court in California, which possesses exclusive jurisdiction over copyright matters.

Attorneys representing artists, labels, and publishers should advise clients on proactive measures to mitigate copyright infringement risks, including comprehensive due diligence during song creation and acquisition, and ensuring robust indemnification clauses in artist and licensing agreements. Businesses in the music sector should closely monitor the court's interpretation of "distinctively protectable melody" and "substantial similarity" in this context, as the outcome could influence future standards for music clearance, licensing negotiations, and litigation strategy. The outcome of this matter is not yet reported, as the excerpt only details the filing of the lawsuit.