- Two US Olympic figure skaters, as well as Comcast and NBC, are being sued for copyright infringement.
- Robert and Aron Marderosian, also known as Heavy Young Heathens, filed the lawsuit.
- The Marderosians allege that skaters Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier used their song without permission.
Two US Olympic figure skaters and NBC are being sued over a song played during a performance in the 2022 Winter Olympics.
A lawsuit filed Thursday in California alleges that figure skaters Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier infringed on Robert and Aron Marderosian's copyrights when they skated to "House of the Rising Sun" for their short program in Beijing.
The song was composed by the Marderosians, who said in the lawsuit that the skaters used their version of the song without permission. The copyright infringement lawsuit also names US Figure Skating, NBC Universal Media and its subsidiaries, Peacock and USA Network.
The Marderosians said neither of the skaters, their coaches, or the broadcasting networks ever contacted the Marderosians regarding the song, calling it a "brazen and improper effort to capitalize on Plaintiff's hard work and copyright ownership." They also alleged they did not receive proper on-screen credit for the song.
"The track features an originally composed introduction and unique arrangement that has allowed it to be a very sought after recording," the lawsuit said. "The track represents a very valuable licensing asset for Plaintiffs and is a signature song of theirs throughout the world."
The Marderosians, also known as the Heavy Young Heathens, said in the lawsuit that their music has appeared in several TV shows and commercials. They have previously accused other companies of infringement in since-settled lawsuits, Reuters reported.
The plaintiffs said they had not received any payment for the use of their song, causing them "substantial, immediate, and irreparable injury." They are seeking damages "in an amount to be proven at trial."
"Defendants have not paid Plaintiffs any money whatsoever for these exploitations of their song and Plaintiffs have been significantly damaged as a result of this scheme between Defendants and their co-conspirators," the lawsuit said, calling the alleged infringement "willful, wanton, malicious, fraudulent, and oppressive."
The Marderosians are being represented by their father, attorney Mick Marderosian, and Heather Cohen. Mick Marderosian told Insider that he tried to address the issue before filing the lawsuit.
"Prior to filing the lawsuit, I reached out to the skater's agent to see if we could resolve this, but my request was completely ignored," Mick Marderosian told Insider. "This use has greatly diminished the licensing future for this song, as it will now be forever linked to figure skating which limits its future use."
Spokespersons from US Figure Skating, Comcast, NBC, and the figure skaters did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.