Mattie Music Group sues labels over Olivia Dean copyright claim

Mattie Music Group has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, alleging that British singer Olivia Dean’s 2025 song “I’ve Seen It” copied the melody of Bill Withers’ 1981 hit “Just the Two of Us.”

The legal action targets major labels and publishers, including Capitol Records, Universal Music Group, Sony Publishing, and Kobalt Music Publishing, rather than Dean personally. The complaint asserts that the song contains “obvious and inescapable similarities” in its musical features, suggesting the resemblance is not a result of coincidence or independent creation.

According to the filing, musicologist Alexander Stewart analyzed the tracks and found substantial similarities in protectable musical expression. The plaintiffs argue that because “Just the Two of Us” has enjoyed decades of widespread popularity, Dean and her co-writers, Bastian Langebæk and Max Wolfgang, had ample opportunity to encounter the original work.

Mattie Music Group claims it notified the defendants of the alleged infringement on August 17, 2026, but alleges the companies continued to commercially exploit the track. The lawsuit seeks damages, profits, and an injunction against further use of the song.