A judge has ruled against Miley Cyrus’ attempt to dismiss a copyright lawsuit that alleges her hit song “Flowers” bears striking similarities to Bruno Mars’ acclaimed track “When I Was Your Man.” The lawsuit, filed by Tempo Music Investments, is set to proceed following the ruling made by Judge Dean D. Pregerson.

Details of the Lawsuit

Tempo Music acquired the rights to “When I Was Your Man” as part of a catalog purchase from Philip Lawrence, one of the song’s co-writers. The legal challenge claims that “Flowers” duplicates various elements from Mars’ song, including melodic structures and lyrical content. According to the lawsuit, both songs share similar chord progressions and thematic elements.

Judge’s Ruling Explained

In denying Cyrus’ motion, Judge Pregerson emphasized that the ownership of copyright rights is distinct from the exclusive ownership of those rights. He reasoned that the ability to enforce jointly owned copyrights is critical for maintaining their value and encouraging collaboration among artists.

“Ownership of ‘exclusive rights’ is not to be conflated with ‘exclusive ownership’ of rights,” Pregerson commented in his order, reinforcing the importance of co-ownership in creative ventures.

Claims of Similarity

The lawsuit, filed in September, describes multiple areas of similarity between the two songs. It states, “Any fan of Bruno Mars’ ‘When I Was Your Man’ knows that Miley Cyrus’ ‘Flowers’ did not achieve all of that success on its own.” Tempo Music contends that Cyrus’ track incorporates significant melodic, harmonic, and lyrical components from Mars’ work, including matching opening vocal lines and bass sequences.

What’s Next?

While Bruno Mars is not listed as a plaintiff in the lawsuit, co-writers Gregory Hein and Michael Pollack are actively involved in the legal proceedings. Alongside Cyrus, other defendants include Sony Music Publishing and Apple. Tempo Music seeks to prevent the reproduction and distribution of “Flowers” based on their claims.