Do You Want To Build A Lawsuit? China Totally Copied 'Frozen,' Kid Says

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

It is possible that you have heard this song.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LET IT GO")

IDINA MENZEL: (As Elsa, singing) The snow glows white on the mountain tonight, not a footprint to be seen. A kingdom of isolation, and it looks like I'm the queen.

GREENE: This is "Let It Go" from the blockbuster Disney film "Frozen." Parents, you probably know this by heart already. And we are not trying to torture you here, but we are going to play another song that's awfully similar.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE ICE AND SNOW DANCE")

SUN NAN AND TAN JING: (Singing in foreign language).

GREENE: This one is called "The Ice And Snow Dance," and no, it is not from a sequel to "Frozen." It is one of the anthems for Beijing's 2022 Winter Olympics. As you might imagine, the composer is getting a lot of flack in China for what many say is a blatant rip-off of Disney's megahit song.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE ICE AND SNOW DANCE")

SUN NAN AND TAN JING: (Singing in foreign language).

GREENE: On the anthem's YouTube page, people have been venting their disgust with comments like shame and let it go. So how similar are these two songs really? We asked someone who knows a thing or two about "Frozen."

NOURA MCELWAIN: My name is Noura McElwain. I'm 5 years old.

GREENE: She is the daughter of Claudine Ebeid McElwain, one of our producers at MORNING EDITION. And Noura has listened to "Let It Go" hundreds of times, I think maybe even more. We played the Beijing Olympic anthem for her and asked what it sounded like.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE ICE AND SNOW DANCE")

SUN NAN AND TAN JING: (Singing in foreign language).

NOURA: "Frozen."

GREENE: OK, that's just one girl's opinion. The question is whether Disney's lawyers will let it go.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE ICE AND SNOW DANCE")

SUN NAN AND TAN JING: (Singing in foreign language). Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.