Olivia Dean track 'I've Seen It' accused of copying Bill Withers hit
A publisher tied to Bill Withers has sued Universal Music Group, Capitol Records, Sony Publishing and Kobalt over Olivia Dean's 'I've Seen It', alleging it copies the melody of 'Just the Two of Us'.
The seven-page complaint was filed on Thursday, 1 October in federal court in Los Angeles under case number 2:26-cv-11383, according to Music Business Worldwide. The named defendants are Capitol Records, LLC, Universal Music Group, Inc., Sony Publishing (US) LLC doing business as Sony/ATV Songs LLC, and Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc. doing business as Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing.
The complaint divides the claims in two. It alleges Capitol and UMG distributed and exploited sound recordings of 'I've Seen It'. It alleges Sony and Kobalt licensed and exploited the publishing rights, the ownership of the words and melody that sits separately from any recording.
'Ive Seen It' is the closing track on Dean's second album, 'The Art of Loving'. The complaint says the album was released by Capitol on or about 26 September 2025. The song is credited to Dean, Bastian Langebaek and Max Wolfgang.
That album was described by the BBC as Dean's Brit Award-winning 2025 album 'The Art of Loving'. The three songwriters are not named as defendants in the case. The complaint also lists 50 Doe defendants, a device used in US courts for unnamed parties whose identities may be added later.
At the centre of the dispute is 'Just the Two of Us', the 1981 hit co-written by Withers. The claimant, Mattie Music Group doing business as Bleunig Music, describes itself in the complaint as a copyright proprietor of that song. It says Withers was signed to the company when he co-wrote it.
Bleunig Music is one of three publishers credited on 'Just the Two of Us', alongside Antisia Music and BMG Ruby Songs. Neither of the other two publishers has joined the action.
To support the claim, Mattie Music hired musicologist Alexander Stewart to compare the two tracks, Billboard reported. The lawsuit claims 'I've Seen It' copied a distinctive melody from 'Just the Two of Us', according to Rolling Stone.
For fans, this means the fight is over the businesses behind the song rather than the singer herself. No finding has been made. The court will now decide whether the claim proceeds.
