Olivia Dean accused of copying Bill Withers song in new lawsuit
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Olivia Dean accused of copying Bill Withers song in new lawsuit")
Olivia Dean Photograph: (IMDb)
British singer Olivia Dean is facing a copyright dispute over “I’ve Seen It”, a track from her 2025 album The Art of Loving, after the company representing Bill Withers’ catalogue. Read to know more.
Renowned singer Olivia Dean, who has delivered several hit tracks and enjoyed a major rise in her music career, has found herself at the centre of a copyright dispute. The Grammy-winning singer’s song “I’ve Seen It” is at the heart of a new lawsuit alleging that it copies elements of Bill Withers’ iconic track “Just the Two of Us".
What does the lawsuit allege?
According to court documents obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Mattie Music Group, which owns the publishing rights to Withers’ music catalogue, filed a lawsuit in California on Thursday, alleging that Dean’s 2025 song shares striking similarities with the late singer’s hit. The same report states that the publisher claimed that the similarities between the two songs were “obvious and inescapable”
The complainant also states that "The number, character, and arrangement of the shared musical features are so striking that they support an interference that the similarities did not result from coincidence, independent creation, or reliance on common musical elements."
Also Read: BRIT Awards 2026: Olivia Dean dominates, BLACKPINK's Rose creates history; full winners list inside
Trending Stories
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
The publisher said it first came across ‘I’ve Seen It’ in August 2026 and listened to the track several times before hiring musicologist Alexander Stewart to examine both songs. Following his analysis, the publisher alleged that Dean’s track had “copied in large and significant part” Withers’ song and used its “distinctively protectable melody”. Reportedly, the lawsuit names Capitol Records, Universal Music Group, Sony Publishing and Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc. as defendants, as per the publication.
What are the two songs?
Withers co-wrote “Just the Two of Us” with Ralph MacDonald and William Salter. The song, performed by Withers with Grover Washington Jr., was released in 1981 and became one of Withers’ best-known recordings. It reached No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and won a Grammy for Best R&B Song. Withers died in 2020.
Also Read: Lollapalooza India 2027: From Olivia Dean to KATSEYE, check full lineup, dates and tickets
Dean’s “I’ve Seen It” appears as the closing track on The Art of Loving, her breakthrough 2025 album. The song reflects on different forms of love and has become one of the more widely streamed tracks from the record.
Dean herself had a major year in 2026, winning Best New Artist at the Grammys, while The Art of Loving reached No. 1 in the UK and earned major recognition at the Brit Awards.
All about Olivia Dean
Born in London in 1999, Olivia Dean attended the BRIT School and started her career singing backup for Rudimental before self-releasing her viral track "Reason to Stay". Her debut album, Messy, arrived in 2023, followed by her sophomore album, The Art of Loving, in 2025, which topped the UK Albums Chart.
Also Read: Ben Affleck denies Shakira dating rumours after Jennifer Lopez divorce: ‘Never heard that’
She made history as the first female solo artist to have four simultaneous songs on the UK top-ten singles chart, led by hits like "Man I Need" and "So Easy (To Fall in Love)". She won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist at the 68th Grammy Awards in 2026.
