Olivia Dean has been accused of copying Bill Withers’ 1981 hit “Just The Two Of Us” in her song “I’ve Seen It”, with representatives for the late singer’s music publisher filing a copyright infringement lawsuit in Los Angeles.
Mattie Music Group, which represents Withers’ back catalogue, filed the complaint in a Los Angeles federal court, alleging that Dean’s song, taken from her 2025 album The Art Of Loving, shares significant similarities with Withers’ Grammy-winning R&B classic.
Lawsuit alleges similarities between the two songs
According to the complaint, a musicologist who examined both songs identified what the publisher described as “substantial similarities” and copying of a “distinctively protectable melody”.
The lawsuit argues that the similarities are too extensive to have resulted from coincidence, independent creation or the use of common musical elements.
“The number, character, and arrangement of the shared musical features are so striking that they support an inference that the similarities did not result from coincidence, independent creation, or reliance on common musical elements,”
The publisher described the similarities between “I’ve Seen It” and “Just The Two Of Us” as “obvious and inescapable”, according to the complaint reported by Rolling Stone.
Capitol Records and Universal Music Group named as defendants
The complaint names Dean’s record label Capitol Records, parent company Universal Music Group and her publishing companies as defendants.
Dean herself, along with co-writers Bastian Langebaek and Max Wolfgang, have not been named as individual defendants.
Mattie Music Group representatives claim they notified the defendants about the alleged infringement in August. The publisher alleges that the song continued to be distributed and licensed without changes to its credits.
The publisher is seeking damages, with the amount to be determined through a jury trial.
“I’ve Seen It” features on The Art Of Loving
“I’ve Seen It” closes Dean’s breakthrough second album, The Art Of Loving, which also includes “Man I Need” and “So Easy (To Fall In Love)”.
The album was named Album Of The Year at both the BRIT Awards and MOBO Awards earlier this year, marking a major stage in Dean’s rise as a British singer and songwriter.
Bill Withers’ musical legacy
Bill Withers released “Just The Two Of Us” in 1981 with Grover Washington Jr. The song became one of his best-known recordings and won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song.
Withers was also known for classics including “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Lean On Me”. He died in 2020 at the age of 81.
The lawsuit remains an allegation, and the claims made in the complaint have not been established as fact by a court.
