Carly Rae Jepsen, the Canadian pop singer best known for her summer hit from 2012 Call Me Maybe, has lost a legal battle in which she was sued for plagiarism. Jepsen and her record company BMI have been ordered to pay Allyson Nichole Burnett $800,000 in royalties that her record label put into escrow pending the outcome of the court’s decision.
Jepsen collaborated with American synthpop artist Owl City to record the 2012 hit Good Time, which Burnett claimed featured stolen sounds from her 2010 song Ah, It’s A Love Song. The court’s decision was handed out this past week. Carly Rae Jepsen hasn’t commented on it yet.
She will, however, soon make her Broadway debut as Cinderella. Beginning on February 4th she plays the lead in the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical Cinderella. She will stay with the production for a 12-week run. Shewill take the place of actress Laura Osnes who has held the lead in the musical for the past year. Fran Drescher will join Carly Rae Jepsen on stage, as she takes on the role of Cinderella’s wicked stepmother.
Feb. 4th it begins! So very honored and excited to be a part of this incredible production. @CinderellaBway pic.twitter.com/RD0I20A16a
— Carly Rae Jepsen (@carlyraejepsen) January 31, 2014
Jepsen attended the Canadian College of Performing Arts after high school, where she studied performance.
“My favourite part of the school year was our trip to New York, where we met Broadway performers and toured the theatres,” she said during a recent interview. “It’s so hopeful and inspiring. I’ve always been one to believe in the impossible, so I relate to her character completely.”
Carly Rae Jepsen may in fact relate to Cinderella more than one might have previously imagined, now that her record label has to pay Allyson Burnett $800,000. While she certainly won’t have to scrub floors to recoup that hefty payout, she might have to take on a few more acting roles to replenish her bank account.
Are you familiar with both songs involved in this lawsuit–both Carly Rae Jepsen and Owl City’s Good Times, as well as Allyson Nichole Burnett’s Ah, It’s A Love Song? Do you think Carly Rae Jepsen is guilty of plagiarizing?
Image via Wikimedia Commons
