Brazilian Samba Composer Files Lawsuit Against Adele Over ‘A Million Years Ago’: Claims ‘Blatant Plagiarism’

The Samba Composer’s Allegations

The Brazilian samba composer who sued Adele over her song “Million Years Ago” has called the track “blatant plagiarism.”

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Legal Proceedings and Claims

Last week, Toninho Geraes sued Adele, co-writer Greg Kurstin, and Brazilian subsidiaries Sony and Universal Music in a court in Rio de Janeiro.

At a hearing on December 13, the judge ruled that the song, included in the singer’s 2015 album, 25, needs to be removed worldwide and taken off streaming services.

Geraes claims that “Million Years Ago” plagiarized his composition “Mulheres (Women),” recorded by Martinho da Bila in 1995. He is seeking lost royalties, $160,000 (£126,000) in moral damages, and copyright damages related to Adele’s song.

A second conciliation hearing took place on December 19, where Adele and Kurstin were provided links to Microsoft Teams for remote attendance. However, Geraes’ lawyer Fredimio Biasotto Trotta reportedly noted that the defendants “failed to appear,” as reported by Guardian.

Statements and Reactions

Geraes spoke to the newspaper about the incident, stating that he became aware of the supposed similarities between the compositions in 2020 when a friend pointed them out to him.

“This is blatant plagiarism,” he remarked. “I did not intend to make this story public, partly to protect Adele. I don’t want a fight, but we tried to reach an out-of-court settlement, and they didn’t even respond.”

Despite the judge’s initial order to remove the song, it remains available for streaming on all major platforms. The decision can be appealed if the record companies, Adele, or Kurstin choose to do so.

Geraes’ lawyers agreed to have the respective compositions “Million Years Ago” and “Mulheres (Women)” recorded at the same tempo and key, which Trotta later shared online. The judge ruled that the video demonstrated “clear evidence of almost complete melodic consonance.”

Defense lawyers contend that the video was “manipulated” and contained “a series of inaccuracies,” with alterations made to “Mulheres (The Women)” to create a perceived similarity to “A Million Years Ago” (via Guardian).

The Brazilian subsidiaries of Sony and Universal are facing a fine of $8,000 (£6,300) as an “act of failure to comply” with the judge’s original ruling, although it remains uncertain if the fines will be enacted.

“This is a milestone in Brazilian music that… has often been copied to create successful international hits,” Trotta stated following the December 13 ruling. He also mentioned that his firm would endeavor to inform streaming services and radio and television broadcasters globally about the decision.

This isn’t the first time Adele has encountered legal action regarding her song “Million Years Ago.” In 2015, music enthusiasts in Turkey claimed she copied a song by Kurdish singer Ahmet Kaya titled “Acilara Tutunmak (Clinging to the Pain),” which was originally published in 1985. Kaya died in France in 2000, and his widow asserted that it was unlikely Adele had plagiarized the song.

In other Adele news, the “30” singer-songwriter recently concluded her 50th weekend and 100th show at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Sin City and has told fans, “I don’t know when I’ll perform again.”