Olivia Dean Accused of Copyright Infringement in Lawsuit

British singer Olivia Dean is facing a lawsuit alleging that her song "I've Seen It" infringes on the copyright of Bill Withers' 1981 classic "Just The Two of Us." The complaint, filed in California, centers on similarities between the melodies of the two tracks, which publishers argue are too striking to be coincidental.

The lawsuit was brought by the Mattie Music Group, the administrator of Withers' catalog. According to legal documents, the group commissioned a musicologist who concluded that "the works contain substantial similarities" and noted the "repeated copying" of the melody from "Just The Two of Us." The publishers claim they notified Dean's record label, Capitol Records, and its parent company Universal Music Group, of the potential infringement in August, but the music was not removed from distribution.

To prove plagiarism, the Mattie Music Group must demonstrate that Dean and her co-writers, Bastian Langebæk and Max Wolfgang, had access to Withers' original composition. The lawsuit asserts that the enduring popularity and extensive radio play of "Just The Two of Us" over decades would have provided the musicians with a reasonable opportunity to encounter the song prior to writing "I've Seen It."

"I've Seen It" is the final track on Dean's 2025 album, "The Art of Loving," which received critical acclaim and commercial success, reaching number three in the U.S. and number one in the UK. The song itself, described as a gentle acoustic ballad, explores various forms of love. Dean has previously stated that the song was written spontaneously after consuming wine, and that upon hearing it back, she felt it provided a fittingly tender conclusion to the album.

"Just The Two of Us," released in 1981, was a significant hit for Bill Withers, reaching number two on the U.S. charts and earning him a Grammy for best R&B song. The track has accumulated approximately 948 million streams on Spotify. "I've Seen It" has garnered around 246 million streams on the platform. Bill Withers passed away in 2020.

Dean herself has achieved considerable recognition, winning best new artist at the recent Grammy Awards. Her album "The Art of Loving" was also named album of the year at the Brit Awards. The lawsuit does not seek damages from Dean or her co-writers directly. Representatives for Dean and the record labels have been contacted for comment, and the defendants have yet to formally respond to the lawsuit.