March 29, 2006

Britney Spears' songwriters accuse South Korean pop composer of plagiarism

SEOUL (AP) — Britney Spears' songwriters have accused a South Korean pop composer of plagiarism and are seeking damages, a music publisher said Wednesday.

Spears' songwriters claim Get ya, performed by Korean singer, sounded similar to the pop star's Do Something.

Universal Music Publishing Korea, the company that handles South Korean copyrights for Spears' music, said her songwriters had complained that Get ya, performed by Lee Hyo-lee, sounded similar to a song they wrote for the 24-year-old pop singer titled, Do Something.
Get ya was the lead song on Lee's second album, which was released last month. Spears released Do Something in February 2005.
Kevin Cho, general manager of Universal Music Publishing Korea, said Spears' songwriters claim the Korean track had been "partially plagiarized" and the company sent their complaint to Lee's composer, Kim Do-hyun.
Cho said they were seeking a settlement of undisclosed terms, but hadn't yet received a response from Kim's side.
Kim has said he was influenced by the Spears' song, but denied copying directly from it. He wasn't immediately available for comment Wednesday.
Lee, whose sexy style has earned her prominent appearances in advertising campaigns, is staging a comeback this year with a return to live performances.