Brazilian Judge Orders Adele Song Removed over Plagiarism Claim

British singer Adele poses on the red carpet upon her arrival for the BRIT Awards 2022 in London on February 8, 2022. (AFP)
British singer Adele poses on the red carpet upon her arrival for the BRIT Awards 2022 in London on February 8, 2022. (AFP)
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Brazilian Judge Orders Adele Song Removed over Plagiarism Claim

British singer Adele poses on the red carpet upon her arrival for the BRIT Awards 2022 in London on February 8, 2022. (AFP)
British singer Adele poses on the red carpet upon her arrival for the BRIT Awards 2022 in London on February 8, 2022. (AFP)

A judge in Rio de Janeiro has ordered the global removal of a 2015 song by British singer Adele due to a plagiarism claim by a Brazilian musician, which Universal Music is fighting on appeal. The ruling, made public on Monday, came in a case filed this year by Toninho Geraes, whose compositions were made famous by some of Brazil's most acclaimed samba singers.

Geraes accused Adele of copying his song "Mulheres", a national hit since the 1990s. His lawyers uploaded to YouTube a comparison of that song and Adele's "Million Years Ago".

"The ruling shows that the Brazilian justice system is strong and that injuries to Brazilian artists won't be ignored," said Fredimio Biasotto Trotta, a lawyer for Geraes.

The decision orders Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music to immediately cease "using, reproducing, editing, distributing, or commercializing" the song by any means on streaming or sharing platforms, without Geraes' consent. It set a fine of 50,000 reais ($8,080.94) if the companies fail to comply with the order.

The Berne Convention, an international treaty, orders other signatory countries, including the US, to comply with legal decisions regarding copyright, Trotta said.

Geraes' lawyers are now notifying streaming services, such as Spotify and Deezer, to withdraw the song in Brazil and globally. On Wednesday morning, the song was still widely available.

Universal appealed the decision on Tuesday, arguing there was no plagiarism, only an "accidental melodic similarity" due to the use of "musical clichés."

Both Adele and Geraes have contracts with Universal, but the Brazilian musician has been trying to terminate his contract with the company due to his plagiarism claim, his lawyer said.

"I felt very disrespected," Geraes told Reuters. He is asking the courts for compensation of more than $150,000. Lawyers representing Universal Music declined to comment, and Sony Music did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Geraes learned of the similarities between the two songs after a friend, who is also a composer, heard Adele's "Million Years Ago" at a party in 2021.



Singer Charli XCX Wins Top Prizes at BRIT Awards

British singer Charli XCX celebrates on stage after receiving the award for Song of the year during the BRIT Awards 2025 in London on March 1, 2025. (AFP)
British singer Charli XCX celebrates on stage after receiving the award for Song of the year during the BRIT Awards 2025 in London on March 1, 2025. (AFP)
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Singer Charli XCX Wins Top Prizes at BRIT Awards

British singer Charli XCX celebrates on stage after receiving the award for Song of the year during the BRIT Awards 2025 in London on March 1, 2025. (AFP)
British singer Charli XCX celebrates on stage after receiving the award for Song of the year during the BRIT Awards 2025 in London on March 1, 2025. (AFP)

Singer Charli XCX, whose album "Brat" inspired a cultural phenomenon last summer, was the big winner at the BRIT Awards, Britain's pop music honors, in London on Saturday, picking up five prizes.

"Brat", which inspired fans to film themselves dancing to its tracks and whose lime green cover look was adopted by US presidential hopeful Kamala Harris' campaign on social media after the singer referenced her in a post, won the coveted album of the year category.

Charli XCX, who had led nominations, was also named artist of the year and best dance act. Her single "Guess", featuring Billie Eilish, won song of the year beating tracks including the Beatles' "Now and Then".

The 32-year-old pop star had won her first BRIT, songwriter of the year, earlier this week.

"I've always felt like an outsider in the industry but particularly in the British music industry and so it feels really nice to be recognised on this album," she said as she received the album of the year award.

"I would just like to share this with all artists who have ever felt that they need to compromise to be recognised and to have their moment in the sun because I think I'm living proof that maybe it takes a long time, but... you don't need to compromise your vision."

The singer released her debut studio album in 2013. "Brat" was her sixth and she said she would "probably never make a record like this again".

"It's so in my instinct to just like not do the same thing twice... I will probably reject it completely and do something completely different," she said.

Jazz quintet Ezra Collective was named group of the year.

"This moment right here is because of the great youth clubs and great teachers and the great schools that support young people playing music," drummer Femi Koleoso said in one of several of the night's acceptance speeches that called for more support for young musicians and grassroots venues.

US singer Chappell Roan won international artist of the year while her track "Good Luck, Babe!" won international song of the year.

"Espresso" singer Sabrina Carpenter was named as the first international recipient of the global success award, which recognizes artists with "phenomenal global sales", following in the footsteps of One Direction, Adele, Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith.

The ceremony also featured a tribute dedicated to late One Direction singer Liam Payne, who died in October after falling from a third-floor hotel room balcony in Buenos Aires, shocking fans of the boy band, one of the most popular of all time.