Adele accused of plagiarism as Brazilian judge orders song to be pulled globally
A Brazilian judge has ordered Adele’s 2015 track, Million Years Ago to be pulled from streaming services and sales platforms worldwide following a plagiarism claim from a Brazilian composer.
The ruling, issued by Judge Victor Torres in Rio de Janeiro on Friday, affects the London-born singer’s song which features on her third studio album, 25.
Brazilian composer Toninho Geraes claims the track plagiarises his samba song, Mulheres, which was recorded and released by singer Martinho da Vila in 1995.
The injunction targets the Brazilian subsidiaries of Adele’s record labels, Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music, who still maintain the right to appeal the decision.
The case marks a significant challenge for the British superstar, whose song has amassed over 200 million plays on Spotify alone.
The court order demands the immediate and global cessation of “using, reproducing, editing, distributing or commercialising” the song across all platforms and formats.
The Brazilian subsidiaries of Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music face a fine of £6,300 ($8,000) per act of non-compliance with the injunction.
Sony Music Entertainment Brazil has stated it “does not have a statement at this time” regarding the ruling.
The preliminary injunction specifically targets all forms of distribution, including physical and digital formats, as well as streaming and sharing platforms.
Geraes’s legal team has announced plans to ensure radio and television broadcasters, along with streaming services worldwide, are notified of the Brazilian ruling.
Geraes is seeking £126,000 ($160,000) in moral damages from the singer-songwriter.
The Brazilian composer has also demanded songwriting credit on Adele’s track.
His lawyer, Fredimio Trotta, called the ruling “a landmark for Brazilian music, which has often been copied to compose successful international hits.”
Trotta said the decision should discourage foreign artists from appropriating Brazilian music.
“International producers and artists who have Brazilian music ‘on their radar’ for possible parasitic use will think twice, given this decision,” the lawyer told AFP.
The case is being heard under the 1886 Berne Convention, of which Brazil is a signatory, ensuring international protection for copyrighted works.
This isn’t the first time “Million Years Ago” has faced plagiarism allegations.
In 2015, Turkish music fans claimed the ballad bore similarities to “Acilara Tutunmak” (Clinging to Pain), a 1985 song by Kurdish singer Ahmet Kaya.
Kaya’s widow, however, defended Adele at the time, stating it was unlikely a global star would commit such an act.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
BBC viewers slam Sports Personality of the Year hosts as ‘sexism’ row sparked: ‘Wokefest!’BBC Strictly fans fume ‘what’s the point’ as live tour line-up slammed over missing starsGregg Wallace cuts prices on food website days after ‘conceding’ to leave BBC MasterChef
The case echoes recent plagiarism disputes in the British music industry, notably involving Ed Sheeran.
Sheeran, who successfully defended himself against two separate plagiarism claims, has warned that such cases are becoming too common.
“Claims like this are made with the idea that a settlement will be cheaper than taking it to court, even if there’s no basis for the claim,” Sheeran stated.
He noted that with “60,000 songs being released every day on Spotify” and only twelve available notes, coincidences are inevitable.
