William Smith, Brian Clover and Scott McCulloch, who claim the 'Can't Feel My Face' singer rips off their song 'I Need to Love', are seeking unspecified damages as well as the profits from the track.
- April 5, 2019
AceShowbiz - The Weeknd has been accused of copyright infringement in a new lawsuit.
William "Billy" Smith (William Smith), Brian Clover and Scott McCulloch, three songwriters based in the U.K., have accused the "Can't Feel My Face" singer, real name Abel Tesfaye, and Canadian rapper Belly, real name Ahmad Balshe, of ripping off their song "I Need to Love" to create "A Lonely Night", which appeared on The Weeknd's 2016 album "Starboy".
According to court documents obtained by The Blast, the songwriting trio claim they wrote the song between 2004 and 2005 and pitched it to many artists around the world, with executives at Universal Music acquiring the rights in 2008.
However, in 2016, they were told the label was giving up the rights, and weeks later they found out about "A Lonely Night". They allege the songs are strikingly similar and have edited them together in an attempt to prove their case.
They are seeking unspecified damages, along with $150,000 (£114,000) per infringement, and all the profits from the song. They have also asked for forensic accounting to take place to figure out how much they are allegedly owed.
