A Brazilian judge has ordered Adele's song "Million Years Ago" to be removed from streaming platforms worldwide following a plagiarism complaint from Brazilian composer Toninho Geraes.

Photo Credit: Lady Lotus / CC by 4.0

Judge Victor Torres of Rio de Janeiro's sixth commercial court issued an injunction requiring Sony and Universal's Brazilian subsidiaries to cease all distribution and commercialization of the song. Non-compliance will result in an $8,000 fine per violation.

Geraes claims Adele's 2015 track from her album "25" plagiarized his 1995 samba classic "Mulheres (Women)," recorded by Martinho da Vila. He seeks:

• Lost royalties
• $160,000 in moral damages
• Songwriting credit on "Million Years Ago"

The injunction demands immediate global removal of the song from all platforms and formats, including streaming services. While Sony Brazil hasn't commented, the song currently remains available on Spotify's U.S. platform, where it has accumulated over 225 million plays since its 2015 release.

This marks the first legal challenge to the song, though it previously faced informal plagiarism accusations from Turkish music fans who noted similarities to Ahmet Kaya's 1985 song "Acilara Tutunmak (Clinging to Pain)."

Fredimio Trotta, Geraes' lawyer, calls the ruling "a landmark for Brazilian music," suggesting it will deter international artists from potentially misusing Brazilian musical elements in future compositions.

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