Ed Sheeran at a performance
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The verdict has been reached: Ed Sheeran did not commit any copyright infringement with his play “Thinking Out Loud” from 2014 — the jury of a US federal court in Manhattan ruled on May 4, 2023.
Sheeran had been sued by composer Ed Townsend’s heirs. The allegation: The 32-year-old used the Marvin Gaye classic “Let’s Get It On” for his play “Thinking Out Loud”, which Townsend co-wrote. Sheeran has vehemently denied the allegations and even threatened to end his career if found guilty.
Sheeran: “I find it really insulting…”
According to several media reports, the pop star had demonstrated in court with his guitar how similar many pop songs are in terms of chord progressions. He and his lawyers argued that he was far from the only one using this common chord progression. The trial (though not the first of its kind) attracted international attention — a guilty verdict would undoubtedly have upended the popular music copyright issue and potentially inspired further trials. Sheeran explained that other songwriters have told him that he “has to win the case for them”. “I find it really insulting how the work of my entire life is disparaged by someone saying I stole it,” the British pop star was quoted as saying by several outlets.
A statement from Sheeran is not yet available.