Carly Rae Jepsen and Adam Young of Owl City are being sued for stealing ‘Good Time’
Carly Rae Jepsen and Owl City’s Adam Young are being sued in a new copyright infringement lawsuit filed in California federal court. The lawsuit comes from Allyson Nichole Burnett, an Alabama-based singer and songwriter who claims the song Good Time released by Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen in June copies a prominent motif of her 2010 song, Ah, It’s a Love Song.
Also being sued is Universal Music Group, Songs Music Publishing and Schoolboy Records.
The hook in Burnett’s song is supposedly a “unique vocal motif” that is repeated throughout the song and “has a catchy pop vibe that both draws people in and sticks in people’s heads.” Burnett’s song is on the album The Takeover and has been on sale since 2010 and licensed to MTV for use in the shows The Hills and Friendzone.
Burnett complained that “many consumers may incorrectly assume that Burnett copied her own original motif from the infringing songwriters due to the widespread popularity and publication of Good Time.” She also went on to say she has “suffered emotional and psychological damage” from fans asking why she copied Jepsen and Owl City’s big hit.
Burnett’s song is in the F key while Jepsen and Owl City’s song is in the key of E flat. However, the songs shared many similarities, some of which included an identical pitch sequence, rhythmic construction and melodic contour.
The now controversial song, Good Time, reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was played numerous times during the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Carly Rae Jepsen is known for her mega-popular hit Call Me Maybe while Owl City’s song Fireflies topped the charts in 2009. Both stars could not be reached for comment.
So sue me maybe?
