Avril Lavigne denies 'Girlfriend' plagiarism claim
Posted: 10 July 2007 1037 hrs

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LOS ANGELES - Canadian rocker Avril Lavigne has lashed out at claims that music and lyrics from her hit single "Girlfriend" were stolen from a song by a 1970s new wave group.

In a message to fans on her official website, www.avrillavigne.com, the 22-year-old said claims that she had plagiarised the 1979 song "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" by the Rubinoos were untrue.

The Rubinoos songwriters, Tommy Dunbar and James Gangwer, have made the claim against Lavigne in a federal lawsuit.

Lavigne insisted however that she had "never ripped anyone off."

"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," Lavigne wrote.

"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 five words!"

Lavigne said there were several songs that bore lyrical similarities to "Girlfriend," including hits by the Ramones and Rolling Stones.

"Simply put, I have been falsely accused of ripping their song off. (Songwriting) partner Luke (Gottwald) and I have done nothing wrong and there is no merit to their claim," she writes.

Lavigne, who is famous for angry, emotionally-charged songs, has been locked in a war of words with former co-writer, Chantal Kreviazuk.

Kreiazuk said the singer will "cross the ethical line and no one says anything," suggesting the star had taken sole credit for a song she had written. - AFP/fa