Uptown Funk Gets Five More Writers in Settlement of Copyright Dispute

Posted on May 2, 2015

British producer and DJ Mark Ronson has just added five more writers to the credits for his monster hit "Uptown Funk" in settlement of a copyright claim.

Billboard reports that the 1970s funk group The Gap Band made a copyright claim against Ronson alleging similarity to their 1979 hit "Oops Upside Your Head." In light of the recent ruling against Pharrell and Robin Thicke in the "Blurred Lines" case, many people are opting to quickly settle copyright claims instead of going to trial where a jury will decide the outcome of the case.

The Bruno Mars tune originally listed six songwriters: Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars, Jeffrey Bhasker, Phillip Lawrence, Nicholas Williams and Devon Gallaspy. Now it has eleven with the addition of five more writers including The Gap Band's Charlie Wilson, Robert Wilson and Ronnie Wilson, as well as keyboardist Rudolph Taylor and producer Lonnie Simmons. Publisher Minder Music made the copyright claim on behalf of The Gap Band.

You can hear "Oops Upside Your Head" to get an idea of the merits of the claim, here.