While Justin Bieber's Skrillex-produced "Sorry" has been an inescapable pop track since dropping last fall, White Hinterland (a.k.a. Casey Dienel) is looking for an apology from the Canadian singer for allegedly looping her vocals on the hit single. Making things official, she's slapped him with a lawsuit for jacking the melody.
As TMZ reports, Dienel's lawsuit names Bieber and producer Skrillex (a.k.a. Sonny Moore) as defendants in the case. It's unclear if the documents also list co-writers Julia Michaels, Justin Tranter and BloodPop (a.k.a. Michael Tucker/Blood Diamonds/Blood).
The suit alleges that Bieber and co.'s "Sorry" lifts the "unique characteristics of the female vocal riff" to White Hinterland's "Ring the Bell," which was the first single off of the artist's 2014 LP, Baby. "Sorry" uses the eight-second vocal motif several times.
Dienel claims to have approached Bieber in December, two months after the single was released, to demand the sample be removed, but she was ignored. She currently wants him to stop playing the song and is seeking an undisclosed amount.
Neither Bieber nor Skrillex has commented on the matter publicly.
You can hear both tracks down below.
UPDATE (5/26, 6:30 p.m.): White Hinterland has now issued a statement about the lawsuit via Facebook. You can read it in full below.
As many of you that follow my career and work have already recognized, Justin Bieber's song "Sorry" copies the vocal riff prominently featured in my song "Ring the Bell." The writers, producers, and performers of "Sorry" did not obtain a license for this exploitation of my work, nor did they obtain or seek my permission. Yesterday afternoon, I filed a lawsuit for copyright infringement against Justin Bieber and the other responsible parties.
After this post, I intend to leave the subject matter of the lawsuit in the hands of my lawyers and the legal system. However, because I do not take the act of suing lightly, I want to take this opportunity to briefly explain my decision to those of you who are connected to me through family, friendship, and music.
Creating original and unique music is my life's passion, but it is challenging and time consuming. I poured my blood, sweat, and tears into writing and producing "Ring the Bell," and I am proud of the finished product, which Rolling Stone listed as one of its "favorite songs, albums, and videos." Throughout my career, I have worked very hard to preserve my independence and creative control, thus it came as a shock to hear my work used and exploited without permission.
Like most artists that sample music, Bieber could have licensed my song for use in "Sorry." But he chose not to contact me. After the release of "Sorry," my lawyers sent Bieber a letter regarding the infringement, but Bieber's team again chose to ignore me. I offered Bieber's team an opportunity to have a private dialogue about the infringement, but they refused to even acknowledge my claim, despite the obviousness of the sample. Justin Bieber is the world's biggest artist, and I'm sure that he and his team will launch a full attack against me. But, in the end, I was left with no other option. I believe I have an obligation to stand up for my music and art.
Thank you in advance for your support.
Casey Dienel (White Hinterland)
As TMZ reports, Dienel's lawsuit names Bieber and producer Skrillex (a.k.a. Sonny Moore) as defendants in the case. It's unclear if the documents also list co-writers Julia Michaels, Justin Tranter and BloodPop (a.k.a. Michael Tucker/Blood Diamonds/Blood).
The suit alleges that Bieber and co.'s "Sorry" lifts the "unique characteristics of the female vocal riff" to White Hinterland's "Ring the Bell," which was the first single off of the artist's 2014 LP, Baby. "Sorry" uses the eight-second vocal motif several times.
Dienel claims to have approached Bieber in December, two months after the single was released, to demand the sample be removed, but she was ignored. She currently wants him to stop playing the song and is seeking an undisclosed amount.
Neither Bieber nor Skrillex has commented on the matter publicly.
You can hear both tracks down below.
UPDATE (5/26, 6:30 p.m.): White Hinterland has now issued a statement about the lawsuit via Facebook. You can read it in full below.
As many of you that follow my career and work have already recognized, Justin Bieber's song "Sorry" copies the vocal riff prominently featured in my song "Ring the Bell." The writers, producers, and performers of "Sorry" did not obtain a license for this exploitation of my work, nor did they obtain or seek my permission. Yesterday afternoon, I filed a lawsuit for copyright infringement against Justin Bieber and the other responsible parties.
After this post, I intend to leave the subject matter of the lawsuit in the hands of my lawyers and the legal system. However, because I do not take the act of suing lightly, I want to take this opportunity to briefly explain my decision to those of you who are connected to me through family, friendship, and music.
Creating original and unique music is my life's passion, but it is challenging and time consuming. I poured my blood, sweat, and tears into writing and producing "Ring the Bell," and I am proud of the finished product, which Rolling Stone listed as one of its "favorite songs, albums, and videos." Throughout my career, I have worked very hard to preserve my independence and creative control, thus it came as a shock to hear my work used and exploited without permission.
Like most artists that sample music, Bieber could have licensed my song for use in "Sorry." But he chose not to contact me. After the release of "Sorry," my lawyers sent Bieber a letter regarding the infringement, but Bieber's team again chose to ignore me. I offered Bieber's team an opportunity to have a private dialogue about the infringement, but they refused to even acknowledge my claim, despite the obviousness of the sample. Justin Bieber is the world's biggest artist, and I'm sure that he and his team will launch a full attack against me. But, in the end, I was left with no other option. I believe I have an obligation to stand up for my music and art.
Thank you in advance for your support.
Casey Dienel (White Hinterland)