A federal jury in New York ruled in favor of Ed Sheeran in a copyright infringement lawsuit. The lawsuit alleged that Sheeran’s hit song “Thinking Out Loud” had “striking similarities” and “overt common elements” to Marvin Gaye’s 1973 hit “Let’s Get It On.” According to NBC News, the lawsuit was filed in 2017 by the heirs of Ed Townsend, the musician who co-wrote “Let’s Get It On” with Gaye. The lawsuit accused Sheeran of violating the Copyright Act.
However, the jury found that Sheeran was not liable for copyright infringement. In response to the ruling, Sheeran expressed his relief and frustration in a statement obtained by NBC News. He stated that he was happy with the outcome of the case and that he wouldn’t have to retire from his music career. Sheeran had previously commented that he would quit playing music if he lost the lawsuit.
In his statement, Sheeran also expressed his frustration that “baseless claims like this are allowed to go to court at all.” He argued that songwriters use a common set of chords when creating music and that these chords are “common building blocks” that have been used for years. Sheeran emphasized that nobody owns these chords or the way they are played.
Sheeran also spoke about the threat that he says these types of lawsuits can pose to the “creative freedom” of musicians. He argued that songwriters should be able to write their original music without worrying that their creativity will be wrongly called into question. Sheeran noted that he and his co-writer, Amy Wadge, work hard to independently create songs that are often based on personal experiences. He expressed his disappointment at being accused of stealing other people’s songs and how devastating it is to their livelihoods.
In addition to missing time with his family, Sheeran also noted that the trial caused him to miss his grandmother’s funeral in Ireland. He emphasized that he is just a guy with a guitar who loves writing music for people to enjoy and that he won’t allow himself to be a “piggy bank” for anyone to shake.
Sheeran thanked the jury, his team, and supporters and expressed his hope for the future. He called on songwriters and the wider musical community to come together to bring back “common sense.” Sheeran argued that claims like these need to be stopped so that the creative process can carry on, and that trusted individuals and real experts need to help support the process of protecting copyright.
This is not the first time that Sheeran has faced a copyright infringement lawsuit. In 2020, he won a separate case over his song “Shape of You.
