Avril says she didn't copy song

Canadian pop star Avril Lavigne has said she did not copy a song by 1970s rock band The Rubinoos.

Songwriters Tommy Dunbar and James Gangwer say that Lavigne's recent hit Girlfriend was taken from their 1979 song I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.

Writing on her website Avril said she has "never in my life heard of" the band and says her song has "no musical similarities".

She added: "I have been falsely accused of ripping their song off."

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The legal case to decide whether the song is copied will be heard in an American court on 28 August.

Lavigne, best known for hits such as Complicated and Sk8er Boi, recently scooped the award for favourite Canadian artist at the MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto.