Radiohead’s Publisher Refutes Lana Del Rey Lawsuit Claims
On Sunday (January 7) Lana Del Rey set the Internet abuzz when she confirmed that Radiohead was suing her for plagiarism, stating that her track "Get Free" sounded a little too similar to their monster hit, "Creep."
"Although I know my song wasn't inspired by Creep, Radiohead feel it was and want 100% of the publishing - I offered up to 40 over the last few months but they will only accept 100. Their lawyers have been relentless, so we will deal with it in court," she tweeted.
On Tuesday (January 9), a spokesperson for Radiohead's publisher, Warner/Chappell, disputed Del Rey's claims, according to Rolling Stone. "As Radiohead's music publisher, it's true that we’ve been in discussions since August of last year with Lana Del Rey's representatives," the statement read. "It's clear that the verses of 'Get Free' use musical elements found in the verses of 'Creep' and we've requested that this be acknowledged in favor of all writers of 'Creep.' To set the record straight, no lawsuit has been issued and Radiohead have not said they 'will only accept 100 percent' of the publishing of 'Get Free.'"
To make the whole situation an even bigger headache, upon releasing "Creep," Radiohead was actually sued by songwriters Albert Hammond and Mike Hazelwood, claiming similarities between "Creep" and "The Air That I Breathe," a 1972 song the duo wrote for the Hollies. As a result, Radiohead had to give the songwriters credit on the song, along with an undisclosed percentage of the royalties. Therefore, if the British rockers do decide to pursue legal action, Hammond and Hazelwood may also benefit. Confused yet?