However, Avril Lavigne said she had never even heard of The Rubinoos or their song.
Tommy Dunbar and James Gangwer of The Rubinoos claim that "the lyric, the meter, the rhythm" of Avril Lavigne’s song were the same as in their tune, but Avril Lavigne responded: "Simply put, I have been falsely accused of ripping their song off."
Avril Lavigne added that the lyrics of Girlfriend could easily be compared to several other hit records.
The Rubinoos once had a hit with a cover version of Tommy James and the Shondells' I Think We're Alone Now, whilst Avril Lavigne recently won the award for favourite Canadian artist at the MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto.
