Music Legal News

The latest music legal stories, each synthesized from multiple sources with added background and context.

Withers Estate Sues Capitol Records Over Olivia Dean Copyright Claims

Mattie Music Group, the publisher of Bill Withers’ catalog, filed a federal copyright lawsuit in Los Angeles against Olivia Dean’s label and publishers. The suit alleges that Dean’s 2025 track 'I've Seen It' copies the 1980 hit 'Just the Two of Us.' The complaint targets Capitol Records, Universal Music Group, and Sony Music Publishing, but does not name Dean or her co-writers. A hired musicologist claims the songs share substantial melodic similarities. The defendants were notified in August but continued distributing the song without changing credits.

11 days ago•Source: Stereogum

Don Henley's Revelations: Testimonies and Regrets at Eagles Trials

music-legal

8.455 min•2 years ago

Don Henley's Revelations: Testimonies and Regrets at Eagles Trials

Don Henley takes the witness stand in a trial involving stolen handwritten lyrics to Eagles songs, expressing anger over the alleged theft and confessing to a past arrest. He recounts the band's history, their breakup, and his disappointment with a planned biography. Henley claims the lyric pads were private and not meant for public consumption, accusing writer Ed Sanders of theft. The trial also delves into the band's creative process and the prosecution's case against the defendants, who maintain they were unaware of the pads' alleged theft.

via Rolling Stone

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Withers Estate Sues Capitol Records Over Olivia Dean Copyright Claims

Don Henley's Revelations: Testimonies and Regrets at Eagles Trials

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