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Celebrity Justice7/7/2007 1:22 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF
Angry Avril Responds to Rip-Off Claims

Earlier this week, TMZ reported that attitudinal Avril Lavigne's song "Girlfriend" was a rip off of a 1979 song by the Rubinoos called "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend." Avril's management flatly denied the band's claims, and now Avril's called BS too.


Writes Avril:

"You may have heard some news that two guys who wrote for some band from the 1970s I have never in my life heard of called the "Rubinoos" are trying to sue me. They have a song called "I Want To Be Your Boyfriend" that has no musical similarities to the song "Girlfriend" that Luke Gottwald and I wrote together. They claim that a small part of the lyrics are the same and are saying that I took these from them. I had never heard this song in my life and their claim is based on 5 words! All songs share similar lyrics and emotions. As humans we speak one language.

Off the top of my head, two other songs that I can immediately think of with this type of lyric are "Hey, hey, you, you get off of my cloud" by the Rolling Stones and "Hey little girl I want to be your boyfriend" by the Ramones. Simply put, I have been falsely accused of ripping their song off. Luke and I have done nothing wrong and there is no merit to their claim."

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Reader Comments

(Page 10 of 10) Previous 15 Comments | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10
136.

Scotty:  1679 days ago

She's dumber than Paris Hilton.....she's also a crook...and we are not that stupid to believe her claim....Hope she pays bigtime.

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137.

{Avrils biggest fan!}:  1679 days ago

Everyone needs to stop bad mouthing Avril!!! Its not like shes the only one on the earth that has ever lied. She is very talented and just because of this one thing everyone has a friggen cow over it. so everyone just shut up!!!!

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138.

Kristen:  1679 days ago

Sounds like she ripped off these lyrics & Toni Basil's beat from Oh Mickey You're So Fine. She needs to grow up & stop running around criticizing everyone else. After all, what "punk girl" runs around carrying a $5000 bag?

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139.

JustTheFacts:  1679 days ago

KREIAK RETRACTS LAVIGNE SONGWRITING COMMENTS Source: BILLBOARD.COM

Chantal Kreviazuk, the fellow Canadian singer/songwriter who dismissed collaborator Avril Lavigne's writing skills in an interview in the June issue of Performing Songwriter magazine, has retracted her comments.

Kreviazuk's comments have been in the media of late in the wake of a copyright infringement suit filed against Lavigne by the 1970s band the Rubinoos. That group claims Lavigne's hit "Girlfriend" infringes on their earlier song "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend."

"I would like to apologize for any misconceptions concerning Avril Lavigne, which may have resulted from statements I made in my interview with Performing Songwriter Magazine," said Kreviazuk in a statement released today (July 10) "It was not my intention to call Avril's songwriting ability or ethics into question.

"My statements and any inference from my statements, which call into question Avril's ethics or ability as a respected and acclaimed songwriter, should be disregarded and are retracted. Avril is an accomplished songwriter and it has been my privilege to work with her."

In a July 6 post on her Web site, Lavigne had hit back, "Chantal's comments are damaging to my reputation and a clear defamation of my character and I am considering taking legal action." — Larry LeBlanc, Toronto (Billboard.com)

It’s official – see weblink:
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003609349

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140.

Will:  1679 days ago

Anyone that thinks these two sounds sound the same are either tone deaf or haven't actually listened to the song.

I'm not sure why not a single news outlet or even this site provides a link to the song that Avril has apparently ripped off. Oh wait... I do know the reason, because if they did play this other song on the news or provide links to it and people actually heard it - well the story would go away instantly, because no one in their right mind could think these are the same.

Some people on this site have used this story as an opportunity to be mean spirited and comment on what Avril looks like or their opinion of her music - none of those things have anything to do with the issue at hand.

Stick with the facts, listen to the Rubinoos song and you'll see this is just a money grab by a washed up band from too many decades ago to remember!

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141.

joe aka wayne static:  1678 days ago

ok this is going to what number 4 said.... dude i think the only tone def perosn is you becuz i downloaded the song from that 70's group and listen to it and it's plain as day that the songs sound nothing alike... it's just people trying to start crap over something so they can get maoney.. sec think is every freaking day there is goin to be some group or artist that remakes or rips a song off it happins all the time.. but there is one thing that is sure diff bout avril's song and the 70's group... ya know what that is... yes the freaking title.. but i think number 4 needs to have his ears checked again cuz you really have no idea that the songs are so diff from each other... and to who ever trys to sue over something like this.... remember it happins all the time and the only thing ya might as well do is... GET OVER IT.. IT'S LIFE YOU FREAKING MORONS..

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142.

lisa:  1678 days ago

sure they have a similar chorus by the two words hey and you and then it's i wanna be your boyfriend instead of girlfriend but they are completely different songs and it not fair to only consider the chorus those '70s songwriters are just trying to get money cause not only did that song suck but they probably didn't make much money if any off of that crap (the lyrics of it suck as well do the vocals) these people are so full of it and pety its from like more than 20 years ago they shouldn't try to compliment themselves by thinking that someone heard there song and actually wanted to make it again

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143.

paige:  1676 days ago

WHO CARES ARTIST RIP OTHER ARTIST OFF ALL THE TIME! ESPECIALLY NOW A DAYS NOW YOU ALL THINK ITS A BIG DEAL, WHO CARES!!!

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144.

mgroovy:  1674 days ago

Avril may not be familiar with the Rubinoos, but any serious discussion of Power Pop music always includes their contribution. They did not rock the charts, but they produced some of the best feel-good music ever. Some of Avril's music (which I like) approaches Power Pop, so ,whether she knows it or not, the Rubinoos are right there on the family tree of her rock influences.
By the way, months ago I told my daughter that this song had ripped off the Rubes (of course, I also mentioned American Idiot as well).

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145.

Nicole:  591 days ago

OK avril wrote the song when she was DRUNK
alot of songs have that beat!
ok ramones and rolling stone song came out before rubinoos!
so how do you knowthat rubinoos didnt steal from them?!
and do you actually thin avril listens to the band rubinoos!
stupid

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146.

Fernando:  260 days ago

Well whoever says both songs are exactly the same are really not listening to this. They both differ in most of the song except the chorus...and even there it is also different. But anyway, everyone is entitle to their opinion. Just think it is outrageous of them to have tried to sue her.

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