Adele’s Million Years Ago faces global ban after Brazilian judge's plagiarism ruling
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Adele’s 2015 track Million Years Ago should be pulled from sales and streaming worldwide due to a plagiarism claim, a Brazilian judge has ruled. Brazilian composer Toninho Geraes claims the song, which features on the London-born singer’s third studio album 25, plagiarises his Samba track Mulheres, recorded and released by Brazilian singer Martinho da Vila in 1995.
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Geraes is suing for royalties, $16,000 (£12,600) in damages and a songwriting credit on Adele’s track. An injunction issued by Judge Victor Torres in a Rio de Janeiro court on Friday fined the Brazilian subsidiaries of Adele's labels, Sony and Universal, $8,000 (£6,300).
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It also ordered the companies to stop “immediately and globally, from using, reproducing, editing, distributing or commercialising the song Million Years Ago, by any modality, means, physical or digital support, streaming or sharing platform”. Sony and Universal can appeal against the decision, which has been made pending action in the plagiarism case.
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Geraes’ lawyer Fredimio Trotta told AFP: “It is a landmark for Brazilian music, which [..] has often been copied to compose successful international hits.”. The London Standard has contacted Sony Music Brasil and Universal Music Brasil for comment.
This isn’t the first time Million Years Ago has been the subject of a plagiarism claim. In 2015, Turkish music fans claimed the ballad was similar to Acilara Tutunmak (Clinging to Pain), a 1985 song by Kurdish singer Ahmet Kaya. Million Years Ago featured on Adele’s third chart-topping album 25 and has been played more than 200 million times on Spotify alone.
