Let It Go: Singer Drops Copyright Suit Over ‘Frozen’ Song

By Gene Maddaus

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – A Chilean singer has dropped his suit claiming that “Let It Go,” the hit song from the movie “Frozen,” infringed on his own composition.

Jaime Ciero filed suit in November 2017, alleging that the song bore a strong resemblance to “Volar,” a song that he first performed in 2008. In an amended complaint, Ciero claimed that the triumphant hook of “” was almost melodically identical to the hook of “Volar.”

“Both ‘Volar’ and Infringing Song use the hook’s rising gestures to evoke a sense of freedom and of moving from darkness into light,” Ciero’s lawyers wrote.

Ciero sued the Walt Disney Company, songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and performers Demi Lovato and Idina Menzel. Lovato and Menzel were later dropped from the case.

Disney initially challenged the suit on statute of limitations grounds, arguing that Ciero had waited four years from the release of the film to file his complaint. Ciero countered that the song was still being used by Disney in new iterations of “,” including a Broadway musical.

Attorneys for both sides filed a stipulation on Monday indicating that Ciero had agreed to drop the suit. Each side agreed to pay its own attorneys’ fees. Judge George Wu ordered the case dismissed with prejudice on Wednesday.