Bill Withers’ music publisher filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles, accusing Grammy winner Olivia Dean of copying the 1981 classic “Just the Two of Us” for her track “I’ve Seen It.” The Mattie Music Group contends that Dean’s song stole substantial aspects of the original track, which was co-written by Withers, Ralph MacDonald, and William Salter, and originally recorded with Grover Washington Jr. The 1981 track reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won the Grammy for best R&B song.
Federal Lawsuit Filed in Los Angeles Over I’ve Seen It Melody
The copyright infringement lawsuit was filed on Thursday in US federal court in Los Angeles by Mattie Music Group, which administers the late singer’s estate and does business as Bleunig Music, according to Music Business Worldwide. The seven-page complaint, filed under case number 2:26-cv-11383, asserts that representatives reached the “obvious and inescapable conclusion” that Dean’s song copied protectable melodies from the R&B classic. The plaintiff is joined in the song’s publishing by Antisia Music and BMG Ruby Songs, though neither of those entities joined the case, Music Business Worldwide reported.
Musicologist Analysis Claims Striking Similarities to 1981 Hit
To support the legal claims, Mattie Music Group hired musicologist Alexander Stewart to analyze both compositions, theguardian.com reported. Stewart concluded that the works contain substantial similarities in protectable musical expression. According to the court filing, the number, character, and arrangement of the shared musical features are too striking to have resulted from coincidence or independent creation, Rolling Stone reported. The lawsuit suggests that because of the original song’s streaming availability, radio play, and cover versions, the creators of “I’ve Seen It” had a reasonable opportunity to encounter the work.
Record Labels and Publishers Named as Defendants Instead of Songwriters
Neither Olivia Dean nor her co-writers on “I’ve Seen It,” Bastian Langebaek and Max Wolfgang, are named as defendants in the lawsuit. Instead, the complaint targets Universal Music Group, Capitol Records, Sony Music Publishing (US) LLC, and Kobalt. The plaintiff states that written notice detailing the musical similarities was provided to the defendants on August 17, but the companies continued distributing and exploiting the track, Law360 reported. Representatives for UMG and Kobalt did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Copyright Dispute
Which companies are defendants in the lawsuit?
The lawsuit names Capitol Records, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Publishing (US) LLC, and Kobalt as defendants, alongside 50 “Doe” defendants, while excluding the songwriters themselves.
What album features the track in question?
“I’ve Seen It” serves as the closing track on Olivia Dean’s second studio album, The Art of Loving, which Capitol released in September 2025. The album includes the singles “Man I Need” and “So Easy (To Fall in Love).”
What outcome is the publisher seeking from the court?
Mattie Music Group is seeking damages to be decided at trial, alongside a permanent injunction to halt further reproduction, distribution, licensing, and public performance of the accused track.
Background on the Artists
Bill Withers was a three-time Grammy winner from Slab Fork, West Virginia, who died in Los Angeles in March 2020 at age 81. His estate is run by his widow, Marcia Johnson, and named after his mother, Mattie. Olivia Dean is a London native who won the 2026 Grammy for Best New Artist and four Brit awards. On 31 July, her collaboration with Sam Fender, “Rein Me In,” became the longest-running No. 1 single in UK history.
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