By Brittany Candrian
BYU student and songwriter Clinton Poulsen has accused ”N SYNC singer Justin Timberlake of stealing parts of one of his songs and putting it on the group”s “Celebrity” album.
“You have to understand that it”s not the same exact song,” said Poulsen, 20, a freshman from Damascus, Md.
Poulsen alleged that while under contract with Wright Entertainment, a song “See Right Through You,” which Poulsen wrote last March, was placed into Timberlake”s hands. The song was then released on the “Celebrity” album under Timberlake”s name.
“Justin had at least five different ways of access to my song, including my manager Doug Brown,” Poulsen said.
Brown, vice president and artist developer of Wright Entertainment, also manages ”NSYNC. Poulsen said Brown originally denied that Timberlake ever heard the song.
Brown later hinted that Timberlake heard the song, and promised he would confront Timberlake, Poulsen said.
“But we never heard back from him,” Poulsen said. “I kind of had to cut ties with him, because there was no trust there at all.”
Poulsen also said Timberlake was friends with least two secretaries who had access to Poulsen”s song.
”NSYNC producer Max Martin, encouraged him to enter a contest on the Internet site Tonos.com, Poulsen said. Poulsen wrote “See Right Through You” for the contest.
In legal papers sent to Jive Records and several other record companies, Wayne Rooks, Poulsen”s attorney, ordered these companies to immediately cease “from any further manufacture, sale, copying reproduction, public performance or other exploitation” of “See Right Through You.”
“They have come back to us denying having used any portion of this material,” Rooks said. “The ball is sort of in our court now.”
Leslie Greene, senior director of business affairs for Zomba Music Publishing, who represents Timberlake, refused to comment.
Meanwhile, Poulsen said there is no doubt one song was written from the other.
“We had some experts analyze the song and there”s no doubt in their minds that he definitely took parts of my song and put it in his,” Poulsen said.
”NSYNC”s “Celebrity” compact disc hit stores July 24, and sold more than 1.8 million copies in its first week. Since then it has gone platinum five times.
