Avril Lavigne: 'Girlfriend' is not a 'rip off'

Washington - Canadian singer Avril Lavigne has hit out against allegations that her latest hit single 'Girlfriend' from 'The Best Damn Thing' is a second-hand version of 'The Rubinoos' song, 'I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend'.

On May 25, 2007, Lavigne, her co-songwriter Lukasz Gottwald, and her record label were sued by the power pop band's songwriters James Gangwer and Tommy Dunbar for copying the 1979 song.

The 22-year-old singer, in an open letter on her official Web site has insisted that she never heard the song earlier in her life and few words could have been similar because songs ultimately delivers same human emotions.

"I had never heard this song in my life and their claim is based on 5 words," People quoted Lavigne, as saying.

"All songs share similar lyrics and emotions. As humans we speak one language," she said.

The rock star insisted that she and Gottwald have been 'falsely accused'.

"Simply put, I have been falsely accused of ripping their song off. [Songwriting partner] Luke [Gottwald] and I have done nothing wrong and there is no merit to their claim," she said.

Lavigne insisted that she was not bothered by the accusations.

"I am not going to sit here and defend my writing skills. I don't have to prove anything to anyone. I know who I am and what I have done and accomplished and no one can take that away from me," she added.