Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson have been called out for copying … once again.
According to TMZ, the artists have been listed in a lawsuit filed by members of a Minneapolis funk band called Collage. The complaint states that Mars and Ronson’s 2014 hit single “Uptown Funk” is a rip-off of their 1983 song “Young Girls,” as it features similar elements like guitar riffs, bass notes, rhythm, and structure.
“Upon information and belief, many of the main instrumental attributes and themes of ‘Uptown Funk’ are deliberately and clearly copied from ‘Young Girls,’” the complaint, obtained by Pitchfork, reads. The group claims the compositions are “almost indistinguishable if played over each other and strikingly similar if played in consecutively.”
The suit also states there’s reason to believe both Mars and Ronson were familiar with “Young Girls” and used it as inspiration for “Uptown Funk,” which has become one of the most successful tracks of their careers. In addition to nabbing a couple Grammys, the single also spent 14 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and has reportedly sold about 6.1 million copies in the U.S.
Trinidad James, Jeff Bhasker, Devon Gallaspy, Phillip Lawrence, Sony, Atlantic Records, and RCA Records are some of the other names listed in the suit, along with Mars and Ronson. Larry White is the only living member of Collage; however, the estates of the other members, Grady Wilkins and Lee Peters, are also listed as defendants. They are seeking damages and profits.
This isn’t the first, or second time, Mars and Ronson have faced this accusation. Earlier this year, a girl group called The Sequence claimed “Uptown Funk” had many similarities to their 1979 song “Funk You Up.” Though there were rumors that the group would file a lawsuit, they have yet to take any legal action.
In 2015, members of the Gap Band were added to the credits of “Uptown Funk.” It was unknown if the group had threatened to file a lawsuit, but it was reported that the members were added so the creators could avoid potential copyright infringement claims.
