Latest news with #TempoMusicInvestments
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Miley Cyrus Denied in Attempt to Dismiss Copyright Lawsuit Over ‘Flowers'
A judge has denied Miley Cyrus' request to dismiss the copyright lawsuit claiming that her 2023 smash 'Flowers' was copying Bruno Mars' 'When I Was Your Man.' Cyrus was initially sued in Sept. 2024 by Tempo Music Investments, a company that purchased the catalog rights of 'When I Was Your Man' co-writer Philip Lawrence. Neither Mars nor Lawrence are named as plaintiffs in the case, which Cyrus filed to dismiss in November. More from Variety Keke Palmer Says 'I Wasn't in the Same Conversations as Victoria Justice, Selena Gomez or Miley Cyrus' as a Teen Star: I Was the 'Black Girl on the Network' Miley Cyrus Releases Golden Globe-Nominated Ballad 'Beautiful That Way' Dolly Parton Told Miley Cyrus That 'Used To Be Young' Was 'Not Fair' Because 'You're Young and Beautiful' and 'I'm Like 80. That Should've Been My Song' But in a ruling yesterday, reviewed by Variety, the judge cleared the path towards a trial by stating that Cyrus and her legal team had a 'misunderstanding' of the legal precedent regarding copyrights. Cyrus' team was arguing that Tempo had no right to sue because it acquired Lawrence's rights to 'When I Was Your Man' without the consent of the other songwriters, therefore undercutting their right to sue. But the judge stated that this argument is 'incorrect,' noting that Tempo has an 'exclusive right' to the copyright that should not be conflated with 'exclusive ownership.' 'By transferring all of that interest, Tempo now steps into Lawrence's shoes and is a co‐owner of the exclusive rights of the copyright,' reads the ruling. 'Because Lawrence as a co‐owner could sue for infringement, Tempo as co‐owner, in lieu of Lawrence, can sue for infringement without joining the other co‐owners of the copyright.' In a statement to Variety, a lawyer for Tempo celebrated the ruling for the case to proceed. 'We are thrilled but not the least surprised by the ruling,' said attorney Alex Weingarten. 'Our client is looking forward to having this case proceed to be resolved on its merits and are extremely confident in prevailing.' Legal reps for Cyrus did not immediately respond to Variety's request for comment. Following its release in Jan. 2023, 'Flowers' was a massive hit for Cyrus, spending eight weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and winning record of the year at the 2024 Grammys. Fans were quick to note the similarities between 'Flowers' and 'When I Was Your Man' from the start, with social media users comparing apparent similarities in lyrics. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More What's Coming to Disney+ in March 2025
Reuters
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Miley Cyrus must face lawsuit over claims she copied Bruno Mars hit
March 19 - Pop star Miley Cyrus lost an early bid to dismiss a lawsuit in California federal court that accused her of unlawfully copying Bruno Mars' song "When I Was Your Man" for her number-one hit "Flowers." On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Dean Pregerson rejected, opens new tab Cyrus' argument that Tempo Music Investments, which said it owns a share of the copyright in Mars' song, could not bring the lawsuit. Tempo is unaffiliated with Mars, who is not involved in the lawsuit. Spokespeople and attorneys for Tempo and Cyrus' label Sony Music (6758.T), opens new tab did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the decision on Wednesday. Cyrus released "Flowers" on her 2023 album "Endless Summer Vacation." "Flowers" has over 1 billion streams on Spotify and won the Song of the Year Grammy award in 2024. Tempo sued Cyrus and Sony Music in September, arguing that "Flowers" duplicates "numerous melodic, harmonic and lyrical elements" of Mars' "When I Was Your Man," which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 2013. Tempo said in the complaint that it bought its share of "When I Was Your Man" from the song's co-writer Philip Lawrence in 2020. Cyrus and her song's co-writers asked the court in November to dismiss the claims against them, arguing that Tempo lacked standing to sue under U.S. copyright law because it did not have "exclusive rights" to the song. Pregerson ruled against Cyrus on Tuesday. "Because Lawrence as a co-owner could sue for infringement, Tempo as co‐owner, in lieu of Lawrence, can sue for infringement without joining the other co‐owners," Pregerson said. The case is Tempo Music Investments LLC v. Cyrus, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, No. 2:24-cv-07910. For Tempo: Alex Weingarten, Amy Stern and Jeffrey Logan of Willkie Farr & Gallagher For Cyrus: Peter Anderson of Davis Wright Tremaine
