Olivia Dean's 'I've Seen It' Faces Seizure, Destruction Demand After Labels Allegedly Ignored Copyright Warning

Olivia Dean's I've Seen It is at the centre of a copyright lawsuit that goes beyond a damages claim. The publisher behind Bill Withers' Just the Two of Us is asking a US court to permanently block further alleged infringement and authorise the seizure and destruction of copies of Dean's song.

Mattie Music Group, doing business as Bleunig Music, filed the complaint on 1 October in the US District Court for the Central District of California, according to a court filing. The lawsuit names Capitol Records, Universal Music Group (UMG), Sony Publishing and Kobalt Music Publishing entities as defendants. Dean and her co-writers, Bastian Langebæk and Max Wolfgang, are not named as defendants.

What Does the Lawsuit Claim 'I've Seen It' Copied?

I've Seen It, written by Dean, Langebæk and Wolfgang, was released as part of Dean's second album, The Art of Loving, in September 2025.

Just the Two of Us was written by Withers, Ralph MacDonald and William Salter and recorded by jazz saxophonist Grover Washington Jr., with Withers providing lead vocals. Withers died in 2020 at the age of 81.

In its complaint, Bleunig alleges that I've Seen It copied the earlier composition 'in large and significant part,' including what it describes as repeated copying of a 'distinctively protectable melody.'

The publisher said it retained musicologist Alexander Stewart to analyse the compositions. According to the filing, Stewart found substantial similarities in protectable musical expression.

Bleunig further argues that the number and arrangement of shared musical features support its claim that the similarities were not the result of coincidence, independent creation or common musical elements. The allegations have not been determined by a court.

Listeners can compare the two songs at the centre of the dispute below.

The official YouTube release credits Dean, Langebæk and Wolfgang as the song's composers and lyricists.

The dispute did not immediately go to court.

Bleunig claims it sent written notices to the four defendants on or around 17 August 2026, identifying its copyright registration, I've Seen It and the alleged musical similarities between the compositions.

Despite receiving the notices, the companies allegedly continued reproducing, distributing, licensing, publicly performing and commercially exploiting Dean's track. The publisher alleges the infringement was therefore 'willful.'

Capitol Records and Dean's representatives had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of writing, while a Kobalt representative reportedly declined to comment.

Publisher Wants Copies of 'I've Seen It' Seized and Destroyed

Bleunig is seeking damages, including losses and profits allegedly attributable to the infringement, as well as legal fees and costs.

More unusually, the complaint asks for a permanent injunction against further infringement and an order authorising the 'seizure, impounding, and/or destruction' of copies of the allegedly infringing work.

That does not mean I've Seen It has been ordered removed or destroyed. These are remedies requested by Bleunig, and no court has ruled that Dean's song infringes Just the Two of Us.

Fans Question Why the Olivia Dean Copyright Dispute Is Emerging Now

The lawsuit has prompted debate online, particularly because I've Seen It was released in September 2025, more than a year before the complaint was filed. Bleunig itself says its representatives reached their conclusion after listening to the track several times in early August 2026.

One user on X questioned the timing, saying: 'I honestly have no idea why this is now becoming news after a FULL YEAR of her album being out and now after the huge success she has had.'

The user characterised the similarity as an interpolation, adding that they found the dispute 'so odd.'

Another user on Threads disputed how extensive the similarities were, describing the song as an 'inadvertent accidental tribute' and arguing that only one line sounded similar to Just the Two of Us.

Not everyone agreed. One commenter argued that Dean's music draws heavily from 1960s and 1970s soul and dismissed suggestions that she may not have known the earlier track.

'She's wrong,' the user wrote, predicting that Dean would eventually be required to credit Withers and Washington.

Bleunig's allegations will ultimately have to be tested in court, where the extent and protectability of the claimed musical similarities will be central to the dispute.

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