U2 album cover called "rip-off"

U2 have been accused of stealing the cover image for their new album No Line On The Horizon.

US musician Taylor Deupree has claimed that the background image on U2's new record, a photograph by Hiroshi Sugimoto, is the same as the one on his 2006 release Specification. Fifteen.

Writing on his site 12kblog, Deupree said: "U2's forthcoming album No Line On The Horizon is nearly an exact rip-off of mine and Richard Chartier's Specification. Fifteen, which came out a couple of years ago."

U2's sleeve artwork features two solid grey lines either side of the horizon, while Deupree's has just the sea and sky.

Deupree added that he is unlikely to take the argument to his lawyers because he does not think he can win.

"This minor ordeal has become more a question of a project that was small, intimate and experimental (and the chance of a lifetime for a small artist) versus the massive pop culture machine," he said.

"In the end, we all know who wins."