Court maintains injunction to suspend Adele’s song accused of plagiarism by Toninho Geraes

The samba Mulheres, by the Brazilian composer, is at the center of an international legal dispute involving the song Million Years Ago, by the British singer

The Court of Rio de Janeiro confirmed, this Friday (10), the injunction that determines the suspension of the reproduction and commercialization of music Millions of years agofrom Adelein Brazil and abroad. The decision was made by the judge Antonio da Rocha Lourenço Netoof the 6th Economic Tribunal, in favor of the composer from Minas Gerais Toninho Geraeswho accuses the singer of having plagiarized her samba Women.

According to Geraes’ lawyer, Fredímio Biasotto TrottaThe injunction forces digital platforms to remove the track from their catalogs, but the deadline for compliance depends on formal notifications, which was not yet detailed in the court decision.

The song was supposed to be removed as soon as the singer was mentioned, but it remains available. We are charging a fine of R$50,000, applied to each channel where the song is still accessible, such as Adele’s two official profiles on YouTube,“ Trotta said.

Attempts at agreement and new developments

A conciliation hearing held in December 2024 ended without progress. The defense of Adele and the producer of the song, Greg Kurstindid not submit a proposed agreement.

Furthermore, according to the samba singer’s lawyers, the power of attorney presented by the singer’s representatives also showed signs of forgery. The documentation, which mixed English and Portuguese terms and listed Sao Paulo as the location of the signing, is under investigation. If proven false, defendants can be held liable for crimes such as making false statements, using a false document, and procedural fraud.

It was a total joke. They asked for a meeting, but said there was no agreement. After nearly four hours of hearing, we left without any progress,” said Deborah Sztajnberg, Geraes’ lawyer.

Security deposit request rejected

The judge also rejected the request Universal musicAdele’s representative in Brazil, so that a sum of R$1 million could be placed as a deposit. The record company justified the request as a measure to avoid losses if the decision was reversed.

The judge found that Toninho is economically vulnerable to the other party and that Universal’s request was aimed at weakening the preliminary decision,” Trotta explained.

In this regard, Millions of years ago remains available on streaming services, even with the decision to withdraw.

Adele and her team have not yet commented publicly on the case.

Source: Terra

Earl

Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.