He’s accused of copying ‘I Need To Love’.
The Weeknd is reportedly being sued by a trio of British songwriters who claim that he ripped them off on his track ‘A Lonely Night’.
William Smith, Brian Clover and Scott McCulloch claim that the US star copied their track ‘I Need To Love’ – which they previously attempted to sell across the globe in 2004 and 2005.
While the trio threatened action in 2018, The Blast has now seen court documents to confirm the beginning of the legal battle.
The songwriters say that while Universal Music acquired the rights to their tracks in 2008, all rights were relinquished in 2016.
They alleged that The Weeknd released the track only weeks later, when they noticed the striking similarities between the two. An edit of the two songs that shows off the comparisons has also been created to aid their case. You can listen to it below.
It’s said that the trio are seeking unspecified damage, $15,000 per each infringement and forensic accounting to work out how they are owed.
The 2016 track features on The Weeknd’s Grammy winning 2016 album ‘Starboy‘.
The Weeknd is currently working on fourth album ‘Chapter Six’. In January, he also teamed up with Gesaffelstein on ‘Lost In Fire’. The track faced backlash after the star was accused of objectifying queer women.
