Judge in Brazil orders Adele song to be pulled off streaming services over copyright dispute

A judge in Brazil had ordered that a song from Adele‘s album 25 be pulled from streaming services because of a copyright claim.

AFP reports that the song, “Million Years Ago,” is the subject of a claim by a Brazilian composer named Toninho Geraes, which has been ongoing since 2021. He claims the song plagiarized the music of his song “Mulheres (Women),” recorded in 1995 by singer Martinho da Vila.

The preliminary injunction states that Adele’s record labels must stop “using, reproducing, editing, distributing or commercializing the song Million Years Ago, by any modality, means, physical or digital support, streaming or sharing platform.” The labels can appeal the decision.

Geraes is asking for songwriting credit on the song, as well as lost royalties and $160,000 in “moral damages,” according to AFP. 

In 2015, some fans accused Adele of plagiarizing a different song to write “Million Years Ago” — they said it sounded like a track from a Kurdish singer called Ahmet Kaya. However, that didn’t result in any legal action.