Justin Bieber, Skrillex Sued By Independent Artist Over ‘Sorry’ Riff

Justin Bieber and Skrillex are being sued by indie singer Casey Dienel aka White Hinterland over a vocal riff in Bieber’s hit song “Sorry.”

Justin Bieber Sued

Dienel confirmed the lawsuit on Facebook, explaining that she believes that Bieber and producer Skrillex knowingly stole a sample of her 2014 hit “Ring the Bell” for “Sorry.” In her statement, Dienel claims that she made multiple attempts to remedy the issue privately and to keep it out of the courts. Despite her efforts, she says that she has been ignored and was left with no choice but to pursue legal action.

“As many of you that follow my career and work have already recognized, Justin Bieber’s song ‘Sorry’ copies the vocal riff prominently featured in my song ‘Ring the Bell,'” Dienel wrote. “The writers, producers, and performers of “Sorry” did not obtain a license for this exploitation of my work, nor did they obtain or seek my permission. Yesterday afternoon, I filed a lawsuit for copyright infringement against Justin Bieber and the other responsible parties.”

Dienel added, “Throughout my career, I have worked very hard to preserve my independence and creative control, thus it came as a shock to hear my work used and exploited without permission. Like most artists that sample music, Bieber could have licensed my song for use in “Sorry.” But he chose not to contact me. After the release of “Sorry,” my lawyers sent Bieber a letter regarding the infringement, but Bieber’s team again chose to ignore me. I offered Bieber’s team an opportunity to have a private dialogue about the infringement, but they refused to even acknowledge my claim, despite the obviousness of the sample.”

Dienel’s lawsuit reads that “the identical and/or striking similarity of ‘Sorry’ to Plaintiff’s song ‘Ring the Bell’ surpasses the realm of generic coincidence and independent creation.”

Compare the two tracks below: