Bleunig Music Sues Universal Music Group Over Olivia Dean Song
A music publisher holding the catalog of late R&B singer Bill Withers sued Universal Music Group on Oct. 1, 2025, in the US District Court for the Central District of California, alleging that Olivia Dean’s song “I’ve Seen It” unlawfully copied Withers’ classic “Just the Two of Us,” Reuters reported. The lawsuit, filed under case number 2:26-cv-11383 as Bleunig Music v. Capitol Records LLC, targets UMG’s Capitol Records alongside Sony Music Publishing and Kobalt, according to additional reporting by Billboard. While Olivia Dean herself is not named as a defendant in the court filings, the legal action claims that key musical elements of her track were lifted directly from the Grammy-winning original.
Mattie Music Group and Bleunig Music Detail Copyright Infringement Claims
Legal representation for the Withers catalog describes the similarities between the two tracks as “obvious and inescapable.” Billboard reported that Mattie Music Group hired musicologist Alexander Stewart to analyze the two recordings. Stewart concluded that “I’ve Seen It” and “Just the Two of Us” share substantial similarities in protectable musical expression, pointing specifically to the repeated use of the distinctively protectable melody from Withers’ song. The complaint argues that the number, character, and arrangement of the shared features are too striking to result from coincidence or independent creation.
“Just the Two of Us” was co-written by Bill Withers under contract with Bleunig Music, and it reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1981 while featuring Grover Washington Jr. Conversely, “I’ve Seen It” serves as the closing track on Olivia Dean’s second studio album, The Art of Loving. That breakthrough album reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 in January, earned a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America, and positioned the British singer-songwriter as Billboard’s Rookie of the Year for 2025.
Attorneys Represent Plaintiff While Defendants Decline Comment
Clair Burrill is listed as counsel for Bleunig Music in the court documents filed in California. Attorney information for Universal Music Group was not yet available when the lawsuit was filed, and representatives for UMG, Sony, and Olivia Dean did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the allegations. A representative for Kobalt declined to comment on the matter to Billboard.
Copyright Lawsuit Targets Major Music Publishers
Who is named as a defendant in the copyright lawsuit?
The lawsuit targets Universal Music Group’s Capitol Records, Sony Music Publishing, and Kobalt. Olivia Dean and her co-writer Max Wolfgang are not named as defendants in the case.
How successful was Bill Withers’ original song?
“Just the Two of Us” peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1981. The track later won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song and has experienced a decades-long run in media and on social platforms.
What did the plaintiff’s musicologist conclude about the two tracks?
Musicologist Alexander Stewart determined that the songs contain substantial similarities in protectable musical expression, including the repeated copying of the distinctively protectable melody from Withers’ original work.
Bleunig Music v. Capitol Records LLC Court Docket Timeline
On Oct. 1, 2025, Bleunig Music filed the copyright infringement complaint against Capitol Records LLC in the US District Court for the Central District of California under docket number 2:26-cv-11383.
Related reading