Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars Sued Over “Uptown Funk”

Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson have been sued for copyright infringement over their hit single “Uptown Funk,” TMZ reports. The complaint, obtained by Pitchfork, was filed by the Minneapolis electro-funk band Collage. They claim that Ronson and Mars’ single “is an obvious, strikingly and/or substantially similar copy” of Collage’s 1983 single “Young Girls.” The complaint also notes that Ronson and Mars have talked about how “Uptown Funk” was influenced by early 1980s Minneapolis electro-funk soul music. Collage are seeking damages and profits.

The complaint states:

Upon information and belief, many of the main instrumental attributes and themes of “Uptown Funk” are deliberately and clearly copied from “Young Girls,” including, but not limited to, the distinct funky specifically noted and timed consistent guitar riffs present throughout the compositions, virtually if not identical bass notes and sequence, rhythm, structure, crescendo of horns and synthesizers rendering the compositions almost indistinguishable if played over each other and strikingly similar if played in consecutively.

Trinidad James, Jeff Bhasker, Devon Gallaspy, Phillip Lawrence, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner/Chappell Music, Atlantic Records, RCA Records and others are listed alongside Mars and Ronson in the lawsuit. Only one member of Collage, Larry White, is alive. The estates of two other members, Grady Wilkins and Lee Peters, are also listed as plaintiffs.

The Gap Band were awarded songwriting credits on the song last year after citing similarities between “Uptown Funk” and their 1979 hit “Oops Up Side Your Head.”

Earlier this year, another group claimed that “Uptown Funk” infringed on their song. The Sequence argued that Mars and Ronson copied their 1979 song “Funk You Up.” The Sequence did not bring a lawsuit. 

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