Imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery, at least according to Japanese singer/songwriter Mayo Okamoto.

As widely reported in the past few days, the melody of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo theme song, Right Here Waiting for You 2010 , bears an uncanny resemblance to that of Sono Mama no Kimi de Ite (Stay as You Are), which Okamoto wrote and recorded back in 1997.

After the apparent plagiarism became a hot topic in Japanese and Chinese media outlets and Internet discussion forums, embarrassed event organizers took down the song from the Shanghai Expo website.

But now Okamoto says it’s OK for the expo to use the copycat version of her song.

“I’m honored to have a chance to cooperate with the Shanghai Expo, to which the whole world is paying attention,” Okamoto said in a statement. Her management office reportedly received an e-mail message from expo organizers seeking permission to use her song despite the apparent plagiarism. The two sides are said to be working out details as to how Okamoto’s tune will be used.

So far there’s no sign of Right Here Waiting for You 2010 (which is credited to a Chinese songwriter who goes by the single name “Museng”) having been put back up on the expo website. A section of the website dated Nov. 2, 2003, provides relevant information for songwriters hoping to have their compositions chosen as the Shanghai Expo theme song, with a 50,000 yuan ($7,314.22) payment as an incentive. The melody of the winning song should have “original writing style, creative rhythm and leave people [with] a deep impression.”

That it certainly has.