Adele song must be withdrawn globally over plagiarism claim, Brazilian judge rules

A judge in Brazil has ordered Adele’s 2015 song Million Years Ago to be removed globally, including from streaming services, due to a plagiarism claim by Brazilian composer Toninho Geraes.

Geraes, 62, is seeking royalties from Adele’s Million Years Ago, $160,000 (£127,000) in moral damages for the alleged plagiarism, and songwriting credit for the track, claiming his samba classic Mulheres influenced Adele’s song.

“It is a landmark for Brazilian music, which … has often been copied to compose successful international hits,” Fredimio Trotta, the lawyer for Geraes was quoted as saying by AFP.

“International producers and artists who … have Brazilian music ‘on their radar’ for possible parasitic use will think twice, given this decision.”

The injunction imposes a fine of $8,000 (£6,300) “per act of non-compliance” on the Brazilian subsidiaries of Sony and Universal, Adele’s labels.

However, the music companies have the option to appeal the decision.

Judge Victor Torres issued the injunction on Friday in Rio de Janeiro’s sixth commercial court, as part of the ongoing plagiarism case. The injunction, confirmed on Monday, requires Sony and Universal to immediately halt the global use, reproduction, distribution, or commercialisation of Adele’s song Million Years Ago on any platform, physical or digital.

Trotta said his firm would work this week to notify radio and television broadcasters as well as streaming services worldwide about the Brazilian ruling.

There was a similar claim by Turkish fans regarding the song’s resemblance to a 1985 tune by Kurdish singer Ahmet Kaya, called Acilara Tutunmak (Clinging to Pain).

Soon after Adele’s song was released, social media in Turkey was flooded with claims that the British singer had plagiarised the song from Kaya, who passed away in November 2000.

The Independent has reached out to the Brazilian subsidiaries of Universal Music and Sony Music for comment.