LOS ANGELES — Mattie Music Group filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Olivia Dean's publishers and record label in US federal court in Los Angeles. The complaint alleges that Dean's song "I've Seen It" infringes on the copyright of Bill Withers and Grover Washington Jr.'s 1981 hit "Just the Two of Us." Universal Music Group is named as a defendant in the lawsuit alongside Sony Music Publishing, Capitol Records, and Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc.

The legal action targets the corporate entities responsible for distributing and publishing the track rather than the artist herself. The lawsuit does not name Olivia Dean or her collaborators Bastian Langbaek and Max Wolfgang as defendants. Mattie Music Group owns the back catalogue of Withers and manages the estate of the singer, who was originally from Slab Fork, West Virginia.

Legal representatives for the plaintiff provided written notice to each defendant identifying the registration, the accused composition, and the material musical similarities on 17 August 2026. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants continued reproducing, distributing, licensing, publicly performing, and commercially exploiting "I've Seen It" after receiving notice. The filing seeks damages and an injunction to permanently restrain further ongoing acts of copyright infringement by the defendants.

To support its claims, Mattie Music Group hired musicologist Alexander Stewart to analyze the two songs. Stewart concluded that the works contain substantial similarities in protectable musical expression. The lawsuit states that Dean's song copied "in large and significant part" Withers' "Just the Two of Us" and stole its "distinctively protectable melody". The complaint further asserts that "the number, character, and arrangement of the shared musical features are so striking that they support an inference that the similarities did not result from coincidence, independent creation or reliance on common musical elements."

The allegations rest on the premise that the creators of the newer track had access to the original work. The lawsuit alleges that Dean, Langbaek, and Wolfgang had a reasonable opportunity to encounter "Just the Two of Us" before creating "I've Seen It". A Kobalt representative declined to comment on the lawsuit.

"I've Seen It" serves as the final track on Olivia Dean's 2025 album The Art of Loving. Dean won the Grammy award for best new artist in February 2026 and has won four Brit awards, including album of the year for The Art of Loving. Her commercial success continued later in the year when, on 31 July 2026, Olivia Dean and Sam Fender's song "Rein Me In" became the longest-running No 1 single in UK history.

The song at the center of the dispute, "Just the Two of Us," reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track won the 1981 Grammy for best R&B song. Withers died in Los Angeles at age 81 in March 2020. Mattie Music Group is named after Withers' late mother, Mattie, and is run by his widow, Marcia Johnson.

Why It Matters

This lawsuit shows the financial stakes involved in managing the legacy of a major artist. Withers' estate, managed by Mattie Music Group, generated $42 million in revenue from streaming royalties alone in 2022. The protection of these assets has led to prior legal actions, including a 2021 lawsuit against Spotify for $12 million in unpaid royalties from Withers' catalog, which settled in 2022 with an undisclosed financial agreement and improved licensing terms.

The case also emerges during a period of heightened scrutiny regarding songwriting credits in the music industry. Olivia Dean faced a 2023 songwriting dispute with producer Sam Smith over uncredited contributions to her debut album, which was resolved out of court. That case involved allegations of unauthorized use of Smith's chord progressions in her early tracks. The current litigation tests the boundaries of musical borrowing and the extent to which melodic similarities constitute infringement in high-profile pop releases.

Timeline

In 1981, Withers and Grover Washington Jr.'s "Just the Two of Us" won the 1981 Grammy for best R&B song. "I've Seen It" is the last track on Olivia Dean's 2025 album The Art of Loving. Olivia Dean won the Grammy award for best new artist in February 2026. Mattie Music Group filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Olivia Dean's publishers and record label in US federal court in Los Angeles on 26 February 2026. Mattie Music Group provided written notice to each defendant identifying the registration, the accused composition, and the material musical similarities on 17 August 2026.

What's New

Mattie Music Group previously filed a 2021 lawsuit against Spotify for $12 million in unpaid royalties from Withers' catalog, settling in 2022 with an undisclosed financial agreement and improved licensing terms. Contextual background reveals that Olivia Dean faced a 2023 songwriting dispute with producer Sam Smith over uncredited contributions to her debut album, which was resolved out of court, involving allegations of unauthorized use of Smith's chord progressions in her early tracks.

Chart data confirms that Withers' song 'Just the Two of Us' reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The complaint explicitly names Universal Music Group as a defendant in the lawsuit alongside Sony Music Publishing, Capitol Records, and Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc. The filing states that Dean's song copied 'in large and significant part' Withers' 'Just the Two of Us' and stole its 'distinctively protectable melody'.