1980s funk band, Collage, is suing Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson for allegedly plagiarising parts of its song for use in their chart-topping track, “Uptown Funk”.
Huffington Post reported that Collage’s lawsuit claims the Grammy Award-winning 2014 collaboration of Mars and Ronson is heavily copied from its 1983 single “Young Girls”.
The hit record sold more than 6 million copies and accumulated over 2 billion YouTube views. Collage’s last surviving member, Larry White, and the estates of its two late members, Grady Wilkins and Lee Peters, are listed as filing the lawsuit, reports Independent.
The lawsuit seeks both damages and profits from “Uptown Funk”, claiming that the rhythm, harmony, melody and structure of the global smash are virtually identical to Collage’s lesser-known track. Representatives of Mars and Ronson have yet to comment on the lawsuit, which also lists Sony Music Entertainment, Warner/Chappell Music, Atlantic Records and RCA Records as defendants.
This allegation is not the first copyright infringement claim filed against Mars and Ronson over “Uptown Funk”. Female rap group, The Sequence, also claimed that Ronson and Mars used their 1979 song Funk You Up as an inspiration for “Uptown Funk”. However, The Sequence has yet to file a lawsuit.
Compare Uptown Funk to Collage’s “Young Girls” below:
