Olivia Dean Sued Over Alleged Plagiarism of Bill Withers Classic

Grammy-winning singer Olivia Dean has been accused of plagiarizing Bill Withers' classic “Just the Two of Us” on her track “I've Seen It,” according to a copyright infringement lawsuit reported by The Guardian.

The lawsuit was filed on Thursday in U.S. federal court in Los Angeles by Mattie Music Group, which owns the rights to Withers' back catalogue. The company contends that Dean's song infringes on the earlier composition, though the report does not detail the specific musical or lyrical elements cited as evidence of similarity.

Both Dean and Withers are described as Grammy winners in the report, underscoring that the dispute involves two artists with significant standing in the music industry, separated by different eras of popular music.

Copyright infringement suits involving allegations of melodic or structural similarity between songs have become increasingly common in the music industry in recent years, with courts tasked with weighing whether similarities amount to unlawful copying or simply reflect common musical conventions.

Neither Olivia Dean nor representatives for Mattie Music Group were reported to have issued additional public comment beyond the filing of the lawsuit. The case's outcome, and any response from Dean's camp, remains to be seen.