Danny O’Donoghue and The Script are reportedly suing James Arthur, claiming that the X Factor winner ripped off their hit song The Man Who Can’t Be Moved.
While The Man Who Can’t Be Moved was released in 2008, Say You Won’t Let Go was released in 2016 and formed a big part of James’s career comeback.
Danny and band mate Mark Sheehan, alongside co-writers Andrew Frampton and Stephen Kipnave, have reportedly filed a lawsuit against James claiming that both songs have near identical beats and melodies, among other similarities. The Script reportedly hired a musicologist to commission a report on the two songs in 2016.
Arthur denies all of the claims. He is named as a defendant in the case, along with co-writers Neil Ormandy and Steve Solomon and their publishing companies and record labels.
The Script are being represented by Richard Busch, the lawyer who represented Marvin Gaye’s estate in its successful lawsuit against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams over the song Blurred Lines.
According to the lawsuit, Arthur approached members of the Script in 2014 to propose a collaboration, which they turned down. Busch alleges that Arthur then copied “the essence” of The Man Who Can’t Be Moved and has generated $20m from the song.
You can listen to both songs below.
It’s not the only legal news in relation to the music industry today as The Pussycat Dolls move against The Daily Mail.
