Olivia Dean Faces Lawsuit Over 'I’ve Seen It' Copyright

Olivia Dean faces a copyright lawsuit over alleged similarities between her hit song 'I’ve Seen It' and Bill Withers’ 'Just the Two of Us'. Mattie Music Group filed the copyright infringement lawsuit on Thursday in US federal court in Los Angeles. The suit alleges Dean’s track stole substantial aspects of the 1981 classic, including repeated copying of its distinctively protectable melody.

The plaintiffs claim the number, character, and arrangement of shared musical features are so striking they could not result from coincidence. Musicologist Alexander Stewart concluded the works contain substantial similarities in protectable musical expression. The lawsuit does not list Dean or her co-writers Bastian Langbaek and Max Wolfgang as defendants. Instead, it names her record label Capitol Records, its parent company Universal Music Group, and her publishing companies, including Kobalt Music Publishing America.

Mattie Music Group alleges Dean and her collaborators had a reasonable opportunity to encounter the original work. They cite the extraordinary and sustained commercial success of 'Just the Two of Us', including decades of radio play. The group claims it provided written notice to each defendant on 17 August, identifying the alleged infringement. Despite this, the defendants continued reproducing and commercially exploiting the song. The lawsuit seeks damages and a permanent injunction to stop further infringement.

Background on the songs and artists

'I’ve Seen It' is the sweet, acoustic closing track of Olivia Dean’s 2025 Brit Award-winning album 'The Art of Loving'. The album was released in September 2025. The song discusses various types of love, from high school crushes to family and friends.

Bill Withers and saxophonist Grover Washington Jr.’s 'Just the Two of Us' is a Grammy-winning collaboration originally released under Washington's name. It reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1981 and won the Grammy for best R&B song. The track has enjoyed a recent resurgence on TikTok and has racked up 948 million plays on Spotify.

Dean’s statement and creative process

In a prior interview with W Magazine, Olivia Dean described the emotional significance of 'I’ve Seen It'. She said hearing it back for the first time made her burst into tears, feeling it was the loveliest note to end her album on. She spoke of love existing within friends, family, and strangers. Dean also revealed the song was written after she had drunk a lot of red wine.

Legal context and next steps

To prove plagiarism, Mattie Music Group must demonstrate that Dean and her co-writers had previously heard the original composition. The group hired musicologist Alexander Stewart to analyze the two songs. The lawsuit leans heavily on the ubiquitous nature of Withers' classic as evidence of this access.

The defendants have not yet responded to the lawsuit. Representatives for Dean, Capitol Records, and Kobalt did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday. A Kobalt representative reportedly declined to comment. The BBC has also contacted the defendants and Olivia Dean's representatives for comment. The song remains available on distribution platforms.

This case emerges amid ongoing tensions in music copyright law. In 2022, Ed Sheeran commented on the increase in copycat claims, suggesting there were only so many notes and calling some claims baseless. Sheeran had previously won a High Court plagiarism case regarding his song 'Shape of You'. The defendants have not yet responded to the lawsuit, and the BBC has contacted Olivia Dean's representatives and Capitol Records for comment.