Apparently, Tesfaye's team became aware of this filing and attempted to block it.ĭespite all this, the Weeknd did debut his own Starboy comic book this year, released in connection with Marvel Comics. While the meetings reportedly took place between the two parties, Talasazan said they never struck up a working relationship, with the alleged comic writer also filing for a trademark of "Starboy" as a comic book hero. Of course, by this time the Weeknd already had released his 2016 album Starboy and its hit title track. Talasazan alleges he created a comic book in 2014 that revolved around rap and R&B stars, and he had meetings with the Weeknd's team in 2017 about folding the singer's "Starboy" alter ego into the comic series.
Reps for The Weeknd have not commented on the appeal motion.īelow: Listen to the plaintiffs' comparison of “A Lonely Night” and “I Need to Love.Once again, the Weeknd is in legal hot water, and this time Abel Tesfaye is being sued over his Starboy comic book.Īccording to a newly filed lawsuit, the idea for the Weeknd's 2018 comic book was stolen from a man named Eymun Talasazan, TMZreports.
“We have always sought out an amicable solution, which is our recognition as co-writers of the song.” “Unfortunately it’s taken its toll on us in a negative way, in particular me, with my health,” he said. In other words, that the melodies are identical is more than sufficient to create a presumption of copying.”Ĭlover said Sunday their battle with The Weeknd has had an emotional impact. “This type of striking similarity is sufficient to show that the similarities between the two works are due to copying rather than coincidence, independent creation, or prior common source. “The melody in the chorus of ‘A Lonely Night’ is, according to Stewart, ‘literally’ the same as the main melody in ‘I Need To Love’, which one would not expect to arise if the two works had been created independently,” they claim. In their appeal to the Ninth Circuit, lawyers for Clover and McCulloch claim the judge erred and the plaintiffs had, in fact, provided sufficient evidence to go to trial. Last July, Judge Percy Anderson ruled that the plaintiffs couldn’t prove Quenneville had been exposed to “I Need to Love” or that the songs are “substantially similar.” He granted The Weeknd’s motion for a summary judgment and dismissed the case. Lawyers for The Weeknd called the lawsuit frivolous and countered that Quenneville had almost no role in the composition of “A Lonely Night.” They also shot down copyright infringement claims by pointing out both songs have elements of other songs, including Blondie’s “Heart of Glass.” The songwriters filed suit in California in April 2019, alleging that The Weeknd’s collaborator and fellow Toronto native Jason Quenneville must have heard “I Need to Love” through his association with Universal. He laughed down the phone at me,” Clover alleged, “saying ‘Why would The Weeknd want to use one of your songs?’”
“He asked what hits we have had and I said none. Clover said a lawyer representing The Weeknd denied there was any similarity between the songs but offered them the equivalent of about $85,000. In a 2018 interview with iHeartRadio.ca, Clover said he and his songwriting partners contacted The Weeknd’s managers hoping to find a resolution. “However, we had an overwhelming feeling that if we just walk away it will mean that the unknown songwriters can just have their work stolen without any consequences.”Ĭlover and McCulloch filed a lawsuit in early 2019 against The Weeknd and others, alleging that the Starboy track “A Lonely Night” copied their unreleased 2004 song “I Need to Love.”Ĭlover and McCulloch claimed Universal Music Publishing pitched “I Need to Love” to artists and labels for several years before terminating their deal just two weeks before the release of The Weeknd’s album in 2016.Ĭlover said he heard “A Lonely Night” playing in a Topman store and immediately recognized his melody. “We did consider just walking away,” Clover told iHeartRadio.ca, via email on Sunday. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to overturn a judge's dismissal of their copyright infringement case against the Canadian singer. British songwriters Brian Clover and Scott McCulloch are not backing down in their fight against The Weeknd.