Robbie Williams is facing a #50,000 lawsuit from American folk legend WOODY GUTHRIE‘s copyright holders, nme.com can reveal.
New York-based Ludlow Music Inc says Robbie should have credited Guthrie, who died in 1967, for music and lyrics in ‘Jesus In A Camper Van’ on his ‘I’ve Been Expecting You’ album.
Ludlow Music served a writ on Robbie, songwriting partner Guy Chambers and publishers EMI and BMG in London’s High Court last month.
The company claims that ‘Jesus In A Camper Van’ takes lyrics from Guthrie‘s ‘New York Town’, which was adapted by Loudon Wainwright III on his 1973 song ‘I Am The Way’.
While Wainwright is credited on Robbie‘s album ‘I’ve Been Expecting You’, Woody Guthrie isn’t.
Ludlow Music is now seeking damages of at least #50,000, costs, plus an injunction to stop the sale of the track ‘Jesus In A Camper Van’.
NME originally reported the story in May last year, but was forced to apologise to Robbie Williams as no writ had then been served on the singer.
At the time, Robbie‘s lawyers claimed that the lyrics to ‘Jesus In A Camper Van’ had not been inspired by the Woodie Guthrie track.