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18th Dec 2024

Brazilian judge orders Adele song to be pulled worldwide due to plagiarism case

Ava Keady

This comes after a plagiarism claim over the singer’s 2015 track ‘Million Years Ago’ was made by a Brazilian composer.

A Brazilian judge has ordered for Adele’s 2015 track ‘Million Years Ago’ to be pulled worldwide due to plagiarism.

Judge Victor Torres made the preliminary injunction in Rio de Janeiro’s sixth commercial court last Friday.

Brazilian composer, Toninho Geraes, made a claim that the track copies the 1995 song, Mulheres (Women), by Martinho da Vila.

The plagiarism case, which was taken in 2021, is still ongoing, however the injunction demands that the song be pulled while the case continues.

Mr Geraes is suing for lost royalties, $160,000 (€152,455) in damages, as well as song-writing credit on the track by the 36-year-old British superstar.

It’s been reported that the injunction calls for record labels to stop ‘using, reproducing, editing, distributing or commercialising’ the song ‘by any modality, means, physical or digital support, streaming or sharing platform’ immediately and globally.

Furthermore, it threatens the Brazilian subsidiaries of Adele’s labels, Sony and Universal, with a fine of $8,000 (€7,622) ‘per act of non-compliance’.

Mr Geraes lawyer, Fredimio Trotta, told Sky News the ruling came after they requested ‘tougher measures’ from the court as the case continued to drag out.

“The decision interrupts this harmful, criminal act, and now time is running out against those being prosecuted. Because interrupted plagiarism is plagiarism that doesn’t make a profit,” he said.

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