Adele is once again making headlines, but this time it's for a shocking plagiarism claim! Brazilian composer Toninho Geraes is accusing the global superstar of stealing the music for her hit song 'Million Years Ago' from her 2015 album, which broke records worldwide. Now, a court has ordered that the song be taken down globally. What does this legal battle mean for Adele’s career? Find out all the shocking details!
Just 10 days after its release, the album sold over a million copies and became the fastest-selling album in UK history.
In 2015, The Independent brought the debate that started in Turkey into the spotlight with the headline: 'Adele’s 'Million Years Ago' is not far from another chart-topping song.' Music critics acknowledged the similarities but noted that the two songs were not exactly the same. Ahmet Kaya's wife, Gülten Kaya, also commented, saying, 'I don’t think a global star would stoop to stealing a song,' but no statement was made by Adele or her spokesperson on the matter.
Brazilian composer Toninho Geraes claims that Adele's hit song imitates the melody of the samba classic 'Mulheres,' performed by Martinho da Vila in 1995. It is even claimed that Adele's song is melodically almost identical to 'Mulheres.'
The court ordered that 'Million Years Ago' be removed worldwide. Judge Victor Torres of Rio de Janeiro's 6th Commercial Court issued a precautionary ruling that garnered international attention last Friday. According to AFP news agency, the court ordered Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music to immediately and globally cease using, reproducing, arranging, distributing, or commercially exploiting 'Million Years Ago' by any method, tool, physical or digital support, publication, or sharing platform.
Geraes is filing a lawsuit for the lost copyright of Martinho da Vila’s 1995 hit album track 'Mulheres' ('Women'), seeking $160,000 in moral damages and songwriting credits for Adele's song.
It remains to be seen whether they will appeal the decision.