AceShowbiz - Miley Cyrus has responded to recent allegations that her 2023 smash hit "Flowers" plagiarizes Bruno Mars' 2013 track "When I Was Your Man". The legal dispute, initiated by Tempo Music Investments, claims that Cyrus' song shares "numerous melodic, harmonic, and lyrical elements" with Mars' tune. Tempo Music, which owns part of the copyright for "When I Was Your Man" following their acquisition of songwriter Philip Lawrence's catalog, believes the similarities warrant legal intervention.

In court documents obtained from various sources, Cyrus and her team vehemently deny any wrongdoing. The motion to dismiss, filed in a Los Angeles federal court, argues that Tempo Music's case is flawed due to their partial ownership of the track's copyright. "Only owners of exclusive rights may sue for copyright infringement," Cyrus' lawyers stated, emphasizing that an entity with rights assigned from only one co-author can't unilaterally bring a lawsuit.

Tempo Music's lawsuit, lodged on September 16, 2023, claims the resemblance between "Flowers" and "When I Was Your Man" was immediately recognized by the public. They assert the chorus of "Flowers" echoes the melodic pitch design and sequence of Mars' track's verse, sharing the same chords and other musical features. The lawsuit includes not only Miley Cyrus but also co-writers Gregory Hein and Michael Pollack, alongside distributors like Apple and Sony Music Publishing.

However, Cyrus' legal team has refuted these points, categorically denying any plagiarism. They argue that the elements cited by Tempo Music-chords, pitches and the "overall melodic design"-are basic musical building blocks not protected under copyright law. Moreover, they state that the complaint suffers from a "fatal flaw," Tempo Music's lack of exclusive rights means they cannot sue without involving the song's other co-authors.

Tempo Music has retaliated, labeling the motion to dismiss as a "bogus technical argument." Their attorney insists that Tempo holds full ownership of Lawrence's share and is not just an assignee. They maintain that "Flowers" would not exist without Mars' original, seeing the lawsuit as a clear case of copyright infringement.

The legal wrangle remains unresolved with no immediate date for a hearing on Cyrus' motion to dismiss. As the debate over originality and intellectual property continues to unfold, fans of both artists are keenly watching this high-stakes battle, awaiting the court's final word.