The Script have confirmed they’re suing James Arthur for copyright infringement.
They say his 2016 single Say You Won’t Let Go contains near identical beats and melodies to The Man Who Can’t Be Moved, which they released in 2008.
They band’s hired the same lawyer who successfully represented Marvin Gaye’s estate against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams over Blurred Lines.
James Arthur’s previously said said there’s no case to answer.
James Arthur signed to Simon Cowell’s label Syco after he won the X Factor in 2012, but was dropped in 2014 after a series of inappropriate Twitter rants.
Say You Won’t Let Go was the first song James Arthur released after re-signing to Syco in 2016.
In a statement to Billboard, lawyer Richard Busch said: “It’s widely known Mr Arthur was dropped by his record label for public controversies, which caused a break in his career.
“It wasn’t until the release of Say You Won’t Let Go that he achieved worldwide success.”
Say You Won’t Go spent three weeks at number one in the UK in 2016, with The Script’s lawsuit seeking financial compensation for the streaming and touring revenue connected to the song.
The suit also reportedly claims James Arthur approached The Script’s Danny O’Donoghue in 2014, asking whether he wanted to collaborate on a song – but that the frontman turned down his request.
Speaking to The Sun last year about the supposed similarities in the two songs, James Arthur said that there was “no case” to argue over.
Source: BBC news
