Adele has run into some legal woes regarding one of her songs, which may result in the track being pulled forever.
The Grammy-winning hitmaker, 36, is known for her songs, including Hello, Set Fire to the Rain, and Rolling in the Deep. However, one of her lesser-known tunes has come under fire by a Brazilian composer who claims the British popstar took a little too much inspiration from his 1995 hit samba classic Mulheres (Women), recorded by Brazilian singer Martinho da Vila.
Toninho Geraes, 62, who has an average Spotify monthly listening of 264,100 people, has claimed Adele plagiarised his track to create her 2015 song, Million Years Ago. In addition to seeking $160,000 (£127,000) in moral damages and a songwriting credit on the musician’s song, he is suing for lost royalties.
The claim, which was first made in September 2021, has had some traction in a Rio de Janeiro court, with judge Victor Torres issuing an injunction to Adele and her labels, Sony and Universal, ordering the song to be pulled worldwide, ruling that if the injunction isn’t followed, the singer has to pay a fine of $8,000 (£6,300) “per act of non-compliance”, according to news outlet AFP.
The injunction obtained by the publication yesterday states that Sony and Universal must stop “immediately and globally, from using, reproducing, editing, distributing or commercializing the song Million Years Ago, by any modality, means, physical or digital support, streaming or sharing platform.”
However, as it is a preliminary injunction, the music companies can file a motion to appeal Judge Torres’s decision.
