Canadian musician beefing with USA Olympic figure skater over copyright issues
A Team USA Olympic figure skater has been facing heat from a Canadian musician for perceived copyright issues.
American figure skater Amber Glenn has been using a Canadian track in her Olympic performances, and it’s causing a bit of drama. The song in question is “The Return” by Canadian musician Seb McKinnon (otherwise known as CLANN).
Glenn has been using the song for the past two years, but it wasn’t until her Olympic performance that McKinnon noticed. It caught the Montreal native off guard, posting to social media that the song was being used without his permission.
“So I just found out an Olympic figure skater used one of my songs without permission for their routine,” McKinnon posted to X on Sunday. “It aired all over the world… what? Is that usual practice for the Olympics?”
So just found out an Olympic figure skater used one of my songs without permission for their routine. It aired all over the world… what? Is that usual practice for the olympics?
— Seb McKinnon (@SebMcKinnon) February 8, 2026
Glenn went on to win an Olympic gold medal in the team event after her performance, bringing more attention to the matter. Figure skaters are required to receive copyright permission from artists before using their music in routines, but it was clear that something went awry in that process between Glenn and McKinnon.
In a statement on Wednesday, the 26-year-old figure skater noted that sometimes the process of gaining permission can be complicated and that she didn’t mean to offend McKinnon in any way.
“The issue of music rights can be complex and confusing,ā Glenn said in a statement. āSeems like there was a hiccup in that whole process.”
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Luckily, it does appear that the two sides have smoothed things over since the initial misunderstanding. McKinnon took to social media on Tuesday to say that things have been resolved and that he is happy for Glenn.
“Things were resolved! I love it when music inspires people,” McKinnon wrote. “We can all agree that creators deserve clear consent, proper credit, and fair compensation when their work is used. It doesn’t matter if you’re the most famous artist in the world or a complete unknown. It’s for all.”
Things were resolved! I love it when music inspires people. We can all agree that creators deserve clear consent, proper credit, and fair compensation when their work is used. It doesn’t matter if you’re the most famous artist the world or a complete unknown. It’s for all. pic.twitter.com/vpDTTrAKfg
ā Seb McKinnon (@SebMcKinnon) February 10, 2026
Not only do things appear to be okay between the two sides, but it sounds like a friendship has budded between the two as well. Glenn’s statement seemed to imply that the two had a good conversation and have not ruled out future collabs.
“Sometimes new friendships start in unexpected ways,” Glenn said. “I discovered Seb McKinnon’s music (CLANN) two years ago and felt a deep connection to it… I’m glad we cleared things up with Seb, and I look forward to collaborating with him.
“It was a dream come true to perform at the Olympic Games, and to have Seb acknowledge my performance and congratulate me afterward made the moment even more special. It’s my sincere hope that I was able to help create new fans of both figure skating and Seb.”
You never want to see this kind of controversy overtake such an important moment in an Olympian’s career, but it’s nice to see cool heads prevail in the end.