Brazilian judge orders Adele song removed over plagiarism claim

Deezer SA

18/12/2024 16:22

By Luciana Magalhaes and Manuela Andreoni
       RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec 18 (Reuters) - A judge in Rio de
Janeiro has ordered the global removal of a 2015 song by British
singer Adele due to a plagiarism claim by a Brazilian musician,
which Universal Music is fighting on appeal. 
The ruling, made public on Monday, came in a case filed this
year by Toninho Geraes, whose compositions were made famous by
some of Brazil's most acclaimed samba singers.  
    Geraes accused Adele of copying his song "Mulheres", a
national hit since the 1990s. His lawyers uploaded to YouTube a
comparison of that song and Adele's "Million Years Ago". 
    "The ruling shows that the Brazilian justice system is
strong and that injuries to Brazilian artists won't be ignored,"
said Fredimio Biasotto Trotta, a lawyer for Geraes.
    The decision orders Sony Music Entertainment  6758.T  and
Universal Music  UMG.AS  to immediately cease "using,
reproducing, editing, distributing, or commercializing" the song
by any means on streaming or sharing platforms, without Geraes'
consent. It set a fine of 50,000 reais ($8,080.94) if the
companies fail to comply with the order. 
    The Berne Convention, an international treaty, orders other
signatory countries, including the U.S., to comply with legal
decisions regarding copyright, Trotta said.
    Geraes' lawyers are now notifying streaming services, such
as Spotify  SPOT.N  and Deezer  DEEZR.PA , to withdraw the song
in Brazil and globally. On Wednesday morning, the song was still
widely available. 
    Universal appealed the decision on Tuesday, arguing there
was no plagiarism, only an "accidental melodic similarity" due
to the use of "musical clichés." 
    Both Adele and Geraes have contracts with Universal, but the
Brazilian musician has been trying to terminate his contract
with the company due to his plagiarism claim, his lawyer said. 
    "I felt very disrespected," Geraes told Reuters. He is
asking the courts for compensation of more than $150,000. 
Lawyers representing Universal Music declined to comment, and
Sony Music did not immediately reply to a request for comment. 
    Geraes learned of the similarities between the two songs
after a friend, who is also a composer, heard Adele's "Million
Years Ago" at a party in 2021. 
    

($1 = 6.1874 reais)

 (Reporting by Luciana Magalhaes in Rio de Janeiro and Manuela
Andreoni in Sao Paulo
Editing by Brad Haynes and Rod Nickel)
 ((manuela.andreoni@thomsonreuters.com))