Does Olivia Dean's "I've Seen It" copy Bill Withers' "Just The Two Of Us?"
A lawsuit filed in California alleges that Olivia Dean's song "I've Seen It" infringes on the copyright of Bill Withers' 1981 hit "Just The Two Of Us." The plaintiffs, representing the Withers catalog, claim that a musicologist identified substantial melodic similarities between the two tracks. The legal action names Capitol Records, Universal Music Group, and Dean's publisher, but does not seek damages from Dean or her songwriters.
- ▪Mattie Music Group filed a lawsuit claiming Olivia Dean's "I've Seen It" copies a section of melody from Bill Withers' "Just The Two Of Us."
- ▪The lawsuit names Capitol Records, Universal Music Group, and Dean's music publisher as defendants, while excluding Dean and her songwriters from seeking damages.
- ▪A hired musicologist concluded that the songs contain substantial similarities, including the repeated copying of a distinctive melody.
- ▪Olivia Dean stated that "I've Seen It" was written to express that romantic love is not the only form of love in her life.
- ▪The song is the closing track on Dean's award-winning 2025 album, The Art of Loving.
3 outlets in our directory ran this story, first to last over 10 hours. Coverage spans 2 points on the political spectrum — 1 lean left, 1 centre.
- ▪ Olivia Dean accused of plagiarism on her I’ve Seen It track — The Guardian — World
- ▪ Olivia Dean accused of copying Bill Withers' Just The Two of Us — BBC News — UK
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| Canonical URL | https://boingboing.net/2026/10/02/does-olivia-deans-ive-seen-it-copy-bill-withers-just-the-two-of-us.html |
| Publication time | Fri, 02 Oct 2026 18:47:34 +0000 |
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Does Olivia Dean's "I've Seen It" copy Bill Withers' "Just The Two Of Us?" Rob Beschizza 11:47 am Fri Oct 2, 2026 Dean in 2025. Credit: Raph_PH / Wikimedia (CC BY 4.0) British singer Olivia Dean's song I've Seen It lifts a section of melody from 1981 Bill Withers hit Just The Two Of Us, according to a lawsuit [PDF] filed in California. The songs "share musical features … so striking" that it cannot be a coincidence, claim lawyers for Mattie Music Group, which manages Withers' catalog. Named in the lawsuit are Capitol Records, Universal Music Group and Dean's music publisher; it doesn't seek damages from Dean or her songwriters Bastian Langebæk and Max Wolfgang. The BBC reports that Mattie Music Group hired a musicologist to compare the songs.
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