A federal jury has ruled in favor of Ed Sheeran in a copyright trial over his 2017 song “Thinking Out Loud.”
stated in the judgment The singer did not copy elements of Marvin Gaye’s song “Let’s Get It On”. A case has been launched against the singer by the heirs of Ed Townsend, Gaye’s co-writer on the track.
© Getty ImagesDuring the trial, Ed, 32, played snippets of both songs on his guitar to prove that he had not borrowed elements from the 1973 hit.
The singer co-wrote the track with Amy Wadge and said it was inspired by her grandparents’ relationship.
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He also stated in court that if he lost the lawsuit, he would give up making music, saying: “If that happens, I’m done, I’m stopping,” which cost him his life. citing losses.
© Getty ImagesTownsend’s daughter, Katherine Townsend Griffin, was the primary plaintiff, supported by the estate of Helen McDonald, the late songwriter’s sister, and his ex-wife Cherigel Townsend. In her opening testimony, Catherine said: “I have to protect my father’s legacy.”
The case was originally filed in 2017, but has seen several delays since then and finally took up the first hearing in 2023. The amount being sought in damages was unspecified, although inside reports suggest it could be a multimillion-dollar lawsuit.
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Just last year, Ed won an infringement case in the UK over his 2017 smash “Shape of You,” after which he took to social media to share a statement on the impact of such trials, which you can see below. You can see in the given video.
“Pop music only has so many notes and very few chords,” he said. “Lawsuits are not a pleasant experience, and I hope that with this judgement, such baseless claims can be avoided. This really has to end.”
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