Last year, TV and film composer Richard Friedman sued Hans Zimmer for copyright infringement, claiming that the main theme to 12 Years A Slave ripped off one of his works. The case was dismissed from a federal court in Los Angeles yesterday, and now, as the AP reports, Friedman has offered Zimmer a full apology, saying that he never should have brought the case in the first place.

“I sincerely apologize to you for bringing the lawsuit and for the time and expense you incurred in its defense,” Friedman wrote in a letter to Zimmer, explaining that his suit was based on the mistaken conclusion of a music expert. In response, Zimmer has issued the following statement: “I hope this case’s successful conclusion will persuade other artists who face similar claims that justice can be achieved. I also hope that this dismissal will discourage other plaintiffs who may be motivated by recent high-profile music copyright lawsuits from filing meritless infringement claims.”