Olivia Dean accused of plagiarising Bill Withers classic

Olivia Dean has been accused of plagiarising the Bill Withers classic Just the Two of Us.

The owners of Withers' back catalogue, Mattie Music Group, levelled the allegation at Dean — a fellow Grammy winner — in a copyright infringement lawsuit filed on Thursday in US federal court in Los Angeles. The suit contends that her track I've Seen It infringes on the Withers song.

The complaint, first reported by the Guardian, targets one of Britain's most prominent young singer-songwriters. Dean, who released her debut album Messy in 2023 and won a Grammy earlier this year, has not yet publicly responded to the claim.

Mattie Music Group controls the rights to Withers' catalogue, which includes Ain't No Sunshine, Lean on Me and Just the Two of Us, the 1981 groove co-written with Grover Washington Jr. The company argues that Dean's I've Seen It crosses the line from inspiration into infringement.

The lawsuit opens a new chapter in the long-running pattern of copyright disputes in pop music, in which rights holders seek damages and credit over claimed similarities between songs. Dean and her label now face the choice of settling or contesting the claim in court, a process that could take years.

The Guardian's report contains further detail on the filing.