Music publisher Mattie Music Group filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Capitol Records and Universal Music Group in a California federal court on October 1, 2026. The lawsuit alleges that British pop star Olivia Dean’s song “I’ve Seen It” unlawfully copies Bill Withers’ classic hit “Just The Two of Us.”
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Verify & Continue ReadingThe seven-page complaint, filed in Los Angeles, states that an independent musicologist discovered substantial musical similarities and repeated copying of a distinctive melody between Dean’s track-featured on her 2025 album The Art of Loving-and Withers’ 1981 Grammy-winning single.
Publisher Claims Striking Similarities in Melody
According to legal documents, Mattie Music Group, which manages Withers’ back catalog, hired a musicologist to review the two compositions. The expert concluded that the works contain substantial similarities in protectable musical expression that could not have arisen by coincidence alone.
The lawsuit targets Capitol Records, parent company Universal Music Group, and associated publishing companies as defendants. The legal action does not seek damages from Olivia Dean herself or her co-writers, Bastian Langebæk and Max Wolfgang. Instead, it focuses entirely on the corporate entities responsible for distribution and commercial exploitation.
Prior Warnings and Ongoing Distribution
Mattie Music Group stated that it officially notified the record labels of the potential copyright infringement on August 17, 2026. Despite the warning, the plaintiff claims the defendants continued to distribute, license, and commercially exploit the song without modifying authorship credits or removing it from streaming platforms.
To establish copyright infringement in court, the publisher must prove that Dean and her co-writers had a reasonable opportunity to hear Withers’ original composition prior to writing “I’ve Seen It.” The lawsuit highlights the song’s decades of heavy radio play and sustained commercial success as proof of ample opportunity for prior exposure.
Commercial Success of Both Tracks
Both musical works boast massive commercial footprints. “Just The Two of Us,” performed by saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. with lead vocals by Bill Withers, was released on Washington’s 1980 album Winelight and issued as a single in early 1981. It peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned Withers a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song. The track has since accumulated over 948 million streams on Spotify.
Meanwhile, Olivia Dean’s “I’ve Seen It” serves as the closing track of her breakthrough sophomore album, The Art of Loving, which topped the UK charts and earned Dean the Best New Artist award at the 2026 Grammy Awards. The acoustic ballad has been streamed approximately 246 million times on Spotify. Representatives for Capitol Records, Universal Music Group, and Olivia Dean have yet to issue a formal public response to the lawsuit.
