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- Miley Cyrus Fights Back: Denies “Flowers” Plagiarized Bruno Mars Hit in Heated Legal Battle
Miley Cyrus Fights Back: Denies “Flowers” Plagiarized Bruno Mars Hit in Heated Legal Battle
The pop superstar dismisses copyright infringement claims, calling the accusations "random and unfounded".
Image via DFree / Shutterstock
Miley Cyrus is not letting go of her flowers — or her fight to protect them. The “Flowers” singer has officially denied allegations that her smash hit plagiarised Bruno Mars’ chart-topping ballad “When I Was Your Man”.
In court documents filed on Nov. 20 and obtained by The Post, Cyrus’ legal team moved to dismiss a copyright infringement lawsuit brought against her by Tempo Music Investments, a firm that owns part of the copyright to “When I Was Your Man”. Tempo claims that “Flowers” is “the result of intentional copying” of Mars’ song, citing similarities in melody and lyrical themes.
But Cyrus, alongside her co-writers Gregory Hein and Michael Pollack, categorically denies any wrongdoing. Her lawyers argue that the allegedly copied elements are merely “random, scattered, unprotected ideas and musical building blocks”, and they further claim that Tempo Music’s lawsuit suffers from a critical legal flaw.
According to the motion to dismiss, Tempo Music acquired rights to “When I Was Your Man” through only one of its four co-writers, Philip Lawrence. This partial ownership, Cyrus’ team argues, disqualifies Tempo from filing an infringement claim, as U.S. copyright law requires full ownership or exclusive rights to pursue such cases.
“That is a fatal and incurable defect in Plaintiff’s claim”, the filing states.
Tempo Music originally filed the lawsuit on Sept. 16, arguing that the “striking similarities” between the two songs were “undeniable” and alleging that “Flowers” could not have existed without Mars’ track. The firm is seeking to halt the distribution and performance of “Flowers” and is demanding an unspecified amount in damages.
As of now, lawyers for Cyrus and Tempo Music have not reached a settlement, and representatives for both parties declined to comment on the ongoing case.
Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” has been celebrated for its empowering message and global success since its release. With this legal battle underway, Cyrus seems prepared to fight for her song as fiercely as she’s encouraged fans to stand up for themselves.