A copyright lawsuit over Olivia Dean’s “I’ve Seen It” raises questions about melody, musical influence and the responsibilities of the companies bringing a song to market.
Mattie Music Group, operating as Bleunig Music, filed the complaint in federal court in Los Angeles on October 1. It alleges that the closing track on Dean’s second album, The Art of Loving, copies protected melodic material from “Just the Two of Us,” co-written by Bill Withers, Ralph MacDonald and William Salter.
The defendants are UMG, Capitol Records, a Sony publishing entity and Kobalt. Dean and her credited co-writers, Bastian Langebaek and Max Wolfgang, are not named as defendants. The complaint also includes 50 unidentified defendants whose names could be added later.
Bleunig is one of three publishers credited on “Just the Two of Us.” The other two, Antisia Music and BMG Ruby Songs, have not joined the lawsuit.
The publisher says its representatives identified similarities in August 2026 and commissioned musicologist Alexander Stewart to examine both compositions and relevant earlier music. According to the complaint, his preliminary analysis supported its allegation that protected musical expression had been copied.
Its argument has two parts: the enduring reach of “Just the Two of Us” gave the writers an opportunity to encounter it, and the alleged musical overlap is sufficiently distinctive to support an inference of copying beyond coincidence or shared musical conventions.
The publisher also says it notified the companies around August 17, 2026, but exploitation of the track continued. It is seeking damages and attributable profits, or statutory damages that could reach $150,000 per work if willful infringement is established. It also requests a permanent injunction, legal fees, interest and an order allowing infringing copies to be seized, impounded or destroyed.
There are unresolved publishing details, too. The complaint does not explain which publisher administers each writer’s share of “I’ve Seen It.” Langebaek’s announced Sony agreement covers future writing and came more than six months after the album’s release.
The reporting also flags discrepancies between the corporate names used in the complaint and those ordinarily used by UMG’s and Sony’s US businesses. Those details deserve attention as the case develops.
At publication, UMG, Sony and Kobalt had not responded to requests for comment. These remain allegations, with no finding of infringement.
“Just the Two of Us” reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won the Grammy for Best R&B Song. Dean won Best New Artist in 2026.
For labels and publishers, the question is how to assess similarities, document decisions and respond when a rights holder raises a claim.
How should the industry strengthen that process while preserving creative freedom?
#MusicBusiness #MusicPublishing #Copyright
