If your favourite Adele song is Million Years Ago from her hit third studio album 25 released in November 2015, we have some sad news for you.
Unfortunately, you’re going to have to find a new Adele hit to cry to on repeat, because as of today, a Brazilian judge has ordered the song be removed from all streaming and radio platforms globally.
According to Brazilian courts, the song plagiarises another artist’s work.
Toninho Geraes, a 62-year-old singer-songwriter from Southeast Brazil, claimed Million Years Ago plagiarised his 1996 samba classic Mulheres.
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The case was brought by Geraes back in 2021.
According to The Times, Geraes lawyer, Fredimio Trotta, referred to the judge’s decision as a “landmark for Brazilian music”, adding it has often been “copied” by international artists.
”International producers and artists who have Brazilian music ‘on their radar’ for possible parasitic use will think twice, given this decision,” said Trotta.
He also shared that his firm would be working to ensure radio broadcasters, television broadcasters, and streaming services are all aware of the decision.
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Trotta told Sky News, “The decision interrupts this harmful, criminal act, and now time is running out against those being prosecuted.
“Because interrupted plagiarism is plagiarism that doesn’t make a profit.”
Geraes sued Adele $US160,000 ($257,000) for lost royalties, and a songwriting credit on her song.
The court order, made by Judge Victor Torres, orders Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music to stop “immediately and globally, from using, reproducing, editing, distributing or commercialising the song Million Years Ago by any modality, means, physical or digital support, streaming or sharing platform.”
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However, it’s not all bad news for Adele fans.
London copyright litigation specialist Mark Stephens told The Times Judge Torres’ order is “legally meaningless”.
“Judges can do some barmy things, but luckily they can only do them in their own country,” he told the publication.
“The writ of an English judge only applies to England and Wales; the writ of a Scottish judge only applies to Scotland and the writ of a Brazilian judge only applies to Brazil.
“They can only enforce these injunctions within their own jurisdiction. It is virtually impossible to enforce them in other jurisdictions.”
So it seems that Million Years Ago could live to see another day. At the time of publishing, the song is still available to stream on Spotify Australia.
But this isn’t the first time the Rolling In The Deep singer has found herself in hot water over this particular song.
According to The Guardian, Turkish music fans have also previously accused Adele of plagiarism back in 2015, claiming Million Years Ago had copied a song by Kurdish singer Ahmet Kaya.
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The claim was that it had plagiarised Kaya’s 1985 song Acilara Tutunmak. But despite the outrage from fans, the dispute was never taken to courts.
Kaya died in France back in 2000, and his widow allegedly said that she didn’t believe a “global star like Adele” would plagiarise her late husbands song.
Adele is yet to make a comment regarding the situation.
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