Olivia Dean song accused of copying Bill Withers' 'Just the Two of Us'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP6z-iX6XoY

Grammy-winning singer Olivia Dean is facing a copyright dispute over her song “I've Seen It,” after the publisher behind Bill Withers' classic “Just the Two of Us” accused the track of copying distinctive elements of the 1981 hit.

Mattie Music Group, which controls part of Withers' music catalog, filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in California on Oct. 1 against several companies involved in Dean's music, including Capitol Records, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Publishing and Kobalt Music Publishing.

Dean herself is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit, nor are her co-writers Bastian Langebæk and Max Wolfgang.

Publisher Says the Melodies Are Too Similar

According to the lawsuit, Mattie Music Group claims “I've Seen It,” the closing track from Dean's 2025 album The Art of Loving, copied “in large and significant part” from “Just the Two of Us.”

The publisher specifically points to what it describes as the distinctive, protectable melody of Withers' song. It also says a musicologist hired to compare the two tracks found substantial similarities in their musical expression.

The company argues that the similarities are too extensive to be explained by coincidence or the use of common musical elements.

The Legacy of “Just the Two of Us”

Withers co-wrote “Just the Two of Us” with Ralph MacDonald and William Salter. Performed by Withers with jazz saxophonist Grover Washington Jr., the song became one of Withers' signature recordings.

Released in 1981, it reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song.

Withers died in 2020 at age 81, leaving behind a catalog that includes some of the most recognizable songs in R&B and soul music.

Dean's Song Became a Major Success

“I've Seen It” appears as the final song on The Art of Loving, Dean's breakthrough second studio album.

The London-born singer has enjoyed a major rise in popularity, winning Best New Artist at the 2026 Grammy Awards and earning multiple other honors for her music.

The song's success has now brought it into an unexpected legal dispute over its similarities to a decades-old classic.

A Lawsuit Against the Music Companies

The complaint says Mattie Music Group notified the companies involved about its concerns in August and provided information about the alleged similarities.

According to the filing, the companies continued distributing, licensing and commercially exploiting “I've Seen It” after receiving that notice. The publisher is seeking damages and other legal remedies, including an order that could prevent further exploitation of the allegedly infringing work.

Representatives for Dean and the companies named in the lawsuit had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of reporting.

No Ruling Has Been Made

The lawsuit represents allegations, not a finding that Dean or anyone else actually infringed Withers' copyright.

The case will now move through the legal process, where the court could ultimately determine whether the similarities between the two songs cross the line into copyright infringement.

For now, “I've Seen It” remains available to listeners, while the dispute places one of Olivia Dean's songs at the center of a growing conversation about musical influence, originality and where inspiration ends and infringement begins.

Source: GMA