Mattie Music Group sues over alleged copying of Bill Withers song

Mattie Music Group, which holds the rights to Bill Withers' catalog, has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in a California federal court. The suit alleges that Grammy winner Olivia Dean’s 2025 song, “I’ve Seen It,” contains substantial similarities to the classic hit “Just the Two of Us.”

A musicologist hired by the plaintiff concluded that the two compositions share protected musical expression, specifically a distinctive melody. The legal action names Capitol Records, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Publishing, and Kobalt Music Publishing as defendants. Notably, Olivia Dean and her co-writers, Bastian Langbaek and Max Wolfgang, are not named as defendants in the suit.

The case centers on whether the defendants had a “reasonable opportunity” to access the original work and whether the melodic similarities constitute infringement. The defendants have not yet publicly responded to the allegations.