Music copyright infringements fall into three different categories; Decided, Settled and cases In the media. To view cases on our website select from the list below or filter by category.
> Filter by • Decided • Settled • In the media
Harrington, Leonard and HaloSongs vs Sheeran, McDaid and others
2016 • Settled • California, Southern Division, USA
Claimant Work: Amazing
Defendant Work: Photograph
In what has erroneously been referred to as "Cardle v Sheeran", in fact it was two of Matt Cardle's co-writers that brought an action in June 2016 against Ed Sheeran, his co-writer Johnny McDaid, and Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Warner Music Group and Atlantic Recording Corporation (the publishers and record label of the song Photograph) for infringing the copyright in their song Amazing.
Burruss, Cottle and Briggs vs Sheeran, Mac and McDaid
2017 • Settled • UK
Claimant Work: No Scrubs
Defendant Work: Shape Of You
Although no legal action was ever reported in this case, news stories began to surface in January 2017 observing a similarity between the chorus of Ed Sheeran's single Shape Of You with TLC's 1999 hit No Scrubs, a UK number three and US number one. In March it was reported that the Ed Sheeran song now showed a writer share for the three TLC songwriters.
Casey Dienel, aka White Hinterland vs Justin Bieber, Skrillex and others
2016 • Settled • USA, District of Tennessee, Nashville Division
Claimant Work: Ring The Bell
Defendant Work: Sorry
Artist Casey Dienel, who also records under the name White Hinterland brought a case against Justin Bieber in May 2016, alleging that Bieber's 2015 hit single ‘Sorry’ copied Dienel's vocal loop from her 2014 song ‘Ring the Bell’. The allegedly copied segment can be heard in the first five seconds of each song.
Cherry Hill Music vs Universal Music Publishing Limited
1990 • Settled •
Claimant Work: Leaving On A Jet Plane
Defendant Work: Run 2
New Order wrote and recorded the song Run for their 1989 album Technique. It was remixed and released as a single under the title Run 2 the same year. John Denver's publishing company filed a lawsuit claiming that Run closely resembled his 1967 song Leaving On A Jet Plane.
EMI Publishing Limited vs Universal Music Publishing Limited/Sony Music Publishing Limited
2015 • Settled •
Claimant Work: I Won't Back Down
Defendant Work: Stay With Me
It was reported in January 2015 that the publishers of Sam Smith's hit Stay With Me had agreed a 25% share of royalties to Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and their publishers on account of its similarity to Tom Petty's 1989 single I Won't Back Down. The case was unusual in being disclosed to the press and revealing the settlement amount.
Hammond and Hazlewood vs Warner Chappell Music Ltd
1993 • Settled •
Claimant Work: The Air That I Breathe
Defendant Work: Creep
This little-reported case from 1993, between Creep and The Air That I Breathe, has received considerable attention in 2018 since it was revealed that Radiohead's publishers were consulting with Lana Del Rey's publishers over similarities between her song Get Free and Creep.
Warner Chappell Music Ltd vs EMI Music Publishing Ltd
2018 • Settled •
Claimant Work: Creep
Defendant Work: Get Free
US singer songwriter Lana Del Rey tweeted confirmation on 7 January 2018 that there was a "lawsuit" against her song Get Free on behalf of Radiohead's song Creep, giving details of negotiations around a share of publishing royalties.
Right Said Fred vs Taylor Swift
2017 • Settled • England and Wales
Claimant Work: I'm Too Sexy
Defendant Work: Look What You Made Me Do
Rolling Stone Magazine reported in August 2017 that Right Said Fred had settled terms with Taylor Swift for using elements of their song I'm Too Sexy in her new song Look What You Made Me Do.
Carey and Golden vs Sheeran, Hill, McGraw and others
2018 • Settled • New York, USA
Claimant Work: When I Found You
Defendant Work: The Rest Of Our Life
Ed Sheeran, as co-writer of a song for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, has been named as a defendant on 10 January 2018 in a new case to emerge, claiming copyright infringement of the country music duet The Rest Of Our Life against Jasmine Rae's 2015 song When I Found You.