A court judge in Rio de Janeiro has ordered the worldwide removal of Adele’s song “Million Years Ago” following a plagiarism allegation by a Brazilian musician.
The ruling, which was made public on Thursday, was in a case that Toninho Geraes brought this year. Some of Brazil’s most well-known samba performers have made his compositions famous.
Since the 1990s, Geraes’ song “Mulheres” has been a nationwide smash, and he accused Adele of stealing it. His attorneys posted a comparison between the song and Adele’s “Million Years Ago” on YouTube.
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“The ruling shows that the Brazilian justice system is strong and that injuries to Brazilian artists won’t be ignored,” said Fredimio Biasotto Trotta, a lawyer for Geraes.
According to the ruling, Universal Music (UMG.AS) and Sony Music Entertainment are prohibited from “using, reproducing, editing, distributing, or commercializing” the song on streaming or sharing services in any way without Geraes’ permission.
A punishment of 50,000 reais ($8,080.94) was also imposed by the court verdict if Universal Music (UMG.AS) and Sony Music Entertainment do not follow the directive.
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