Songwriters to Avril -- You're Off the Hook

Posted Jan 15th 2008 3:55PM by TMZ Staff

The guys who accused Avril Lavigne of stealing their song, "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" for her own "Girlfriend" have relented, and are "satisfied" that any "similarities" are just a big co-inky-dink. That wasn't complicated!

Avril was sued back in July by Tommy Dunbar and James Gangwer for copyright infringement over their 1979 song, which seemed to have a similar chorus. Now, Dunbar and Gangwer have issued the following statement completely renouncing their suit:

"We are satisfied that any similarities between the two songs resulted from Avril and Luke's use of certain common and widely used lyrics. We therefore completely exonerate Avril and Luke from any wrongdoing of any kind in connection with the claims made by us in our lawsuit."

Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Music

Comments [37]

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(Page 1 of 3) | 1 | 2 | 3 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

1. COO000oooooolllllllll

I like her music

I watched a 3 legged bear eat at a resturant one time...True Story

Posted at 4:06PM on Jan 15th 2008 by Truth

2. Hey Avril, let's celebrate. You, me, a bottle of champagne and your husband on the sidelines watching. Call me.

Posted at 4:09PM on Jan 15th 2008 by Haterade

3. Here, take this check and tell everyone that you let us off the hook for stealing your stuff.

Posted at 4:09PM on Jan 15th 2008 by Hmmm

4. I bet if you did some *serious* research, you would find a lot of the same lyrics (uh, same words) used in MOST songs out there. You might as well accuse commenters here of plagerism! We use some of the same words (uh, lyrics)! Are we stealing?

Posted at 4:12PM on Jan 15th 2008 by Novel1

5. You beat me to it, #3.

Posted at 4:18PM on Jan 15th 2008 by Zackly

6. Not a very good song to begin with. I liked Pebbles' "Girlfriend" and Prince's "If I Was Your Girlfriend" way better, both superior songs in every way!

Posted at 4:18PM on Jan 15th 2008 by Barkley, p.r. dog

7. I still think they stole the song. They're just too much alike. She had to have paid them off.

Posted at 4:21PM on Jan 15th 2008 by Avril is a LIARRRR

8. I'm with #2 - Avril is HOT HOT HOT and most women wish they could be as sexy and cool as she is!

Too bad her husband is fugly.

Posted at 4:22PM on Jan 15th 2008 by Rudy

9. Satisfied is spelled $$$$$$$$$$ - they were paid off big time.

Posted at 4:23PM on Jan 15th 2008 by Frank Davis

10. Yep. Paid 'em off. They didn't have a case, but it was probably cheaper this way anyhow. Too bad.

Posted at 4:24PM on Jan 15th 2008 by Jury of Jerry Colonnas

11. She's sooooo over!!!

Posted at 4:24PM on Jan 15th 2008 by TheLostGirl

12. I thought it was a rip-off, now a pay-off, we the public aren't so stupid.....