Lizzo, Atlantic Sued Over Song Clip Copyright Infringement (1)

Lizzo and her record label face a federal lawsuit alleging copyright infringement related to an unauthorized sample used in a part of a song she circulated on social media.

Lizzo, also known as Melissa Jefferson, and Atlantic Recording Corp. incorporated, interpolated, and sampled instrumental and vocal elements of a song owned by The GRC Trust into Lizzo’s “I’m Goin’ In Till October,” according to a complaint filed Tuesday.

“Defendants did not obtain authorization from GRC to use the composition in the infringing work,” the trust said in its US District Court for the Central District of California filing.

It wasn’t immediately clear in the complaint who recorded or produced GRC’s song, which is entitled “Win or Lose (We Tried).”

A spokesperson for Lizzo, sharing with Bloomberg Law Wednesday a statement issued a day earlier, said they were “surprised” GRC filed this suit.

“To be clear, the song has never been commercially released or monetized, and no decision has been made at this time regarding any future commercial release of the song,” Lizzo’sspokesperson said.

A representative for Atlantic didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Lizzo’s song, which has also been called “Good Jeans,” was shared onto social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. The song was released in response to the ensuing controversy over actress Sydney Sweeney’s jean advertisement campaign with American Eagle, The Hollywood Reporter said in August.

GRC seeks a court order that the defendants willfully infringed its copyrights in Lizzo’s song, an injunction enjoining the defendants from further “exploiting the composition,” and an award of all of the defendants’ profits and its own losses.

Doniger / Burroughs represents GRC.

The case is The GRC Trust v. Jefferson, C.D. Cal., No. 2:25-cv-10085, complaint 10/21/25.