Olivia Dean Lawsuit, AI Fraudster Sentence, Erica Campbell Case & More Top Music Law News
Categoria: Musica
In this week's Legal Beat newsletter, a battle over "Just the Two of Us", a streaming fraud prison sentence, a gospel music settlement and much more.
Por Billboard | 07/10/2026
THE BIG STORY: If you want to predict the music industry’s next big copyright lawsuit, look no further than the YouTube comments. Many months ago, when Olivia Dean ’s “I’ve Seen It” hit the video site, more than a few commenters said they heard something they’d heard before: “The chorus reminds me a lot like ‘just the two of us,’” one wrote. “ I can’t help thinking about ‘Just the two of us’,” another added. “Strong ‘Just The Two Of Us’ vibes,” yet another listener said. Related Olivia Dean ‘Art of Loving’ Song Faces Lawsuit Claiming It Was Copied From ‘Just the Two of Us’ Hilary Duff to Receive Outstanding Pop Tour of the Year Award at 2026 Billboard Live Music Summit Judge Rules Woman Accused of Shooting at Rihanna & A$AP Rocky's Home Mentally Fit to Stand Trial It turns out they weren’t the only ones to hear it. A new lawsuit last week, first reported by Billboard , claims Dean’s song stole key elements from the iconic 1980 song “Just the Two of Us” by Bill Withers . Filed by the late singer’s publisher against Dean’s label (Capitol Records) and publisher (Sony Music Publishing), the case claims the overlap between the two songs is “obvious and inescapable.” The lawsuit is a big deal because Olivia Dean is a big deal — a true breakout over the past two years behind smash singles “Man I Need” and “So Easy (To Fall in Love)” off a hit album, The Art of Loving , that’s spent 52 weeks and counting on the Billboard 200 . And she’s not accused of borrowing from some unknown song — “Just the Two of Us” reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has appeared in countless movies, ads and TikToks over the years. Do they really sound so alike? Go listen for yourself here . And for more on the lawsuit, including access to the actual complaint filed in court, go read our full story here . You’re reading the Legal Beat , a weekly newsletter about music law from Billboard Pro , offering you a one-stop cheat sheet of big new cases, important rulings and all the fun stuff in between. To get the newsletter in your inbox every Tuesday, subscribe here . Other top stories this week… -Michael Smith, a North Carolina musician who used AI songs to steal $8 million in royalties, was sentenced to 18 months in prison in a first-ever criminal case over streaming fraud. -A lawsuit against distributor SRG/ILS Group over royalties to Erica Campbell ’s latest gospel album quickly ended in a settlement , less than a month after it was filed. – Oasis filed a lawsuit against its longtime former sound engineer Huw Richards to block his looming auction of a trove of unheard recordings valued at more than $2 million. And it worked . -A closely watched hearing in the legal battle between Dolly Parton ’s estate and the late singer’s nephew was pushed back two weeks to give the man more time to hire attorneys. – The Game sued Universal Music Group over claims that it failed to properly promote his 2022 album Drillmat