'80s Band Claims Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson Plagiarized 'Uptown Funk' From Their Song
The outcome of the "Blurred Lines" lawsuit, brought by the estate of Marvin Gaye against Robin Thicke, Pharrell and others, seems to have empowered other artists to stand up and speak out when they believe their own work has been plagiarized by major pop stars.
Cue '80s funk band Collage, who are suing Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson for copyright infringement, claiming the duo's hit "Uptown Funk" is "virtually indistinguishable" from their own track "Young Girls."
The band claims that Ronson and Mars’ single “is an obvious, strikingly and/or substantially similar copy” of their own 1983 single. The complaint also notes that Ronson and Mars have talked about how “Uptown Funk” was influenced by early 1980s Minneapolis electro-funk soul music. Collage are seeking damages and profits.
Listen to the two tracks below. Do they have a case?
Only one member of Collage, Larry White, is alive. The estates of two other members, Grady Wilkins and Lee Peters, are also listed as plaintiffs.
Representatives for Ronson, Mars or the other defendants have not yet commented on the suit.