Ed Sheeran Testifies In Copyright Case: ‘Would’ve Been An Idiot’ To Openly Flaunt Stealing ‘Let’s Get It On’

Ed Sheeran Defends Himself in Copyright Trial

Recording artist Ed Sheeran took the stand Tuesday to defend himself during a copyright trial stemming from accusations that his song “Thinking Out Loud” copied the classic Marvin Gaye song, “Let’s Get It On.”

Sheeran’s Defense

The musician testified in court that he and co-writer Amy Wadge came up with “Thinking Out Loud” during a collaborative writing session. Sheeran said it was inspired by his grandparents’ relationship, The Guardian reported.

Sheeran’s lawyer Ilene Farkas argued that “no one owns basic musical building blocks.”  Sheeran’s legal team wrote in an earlier written filing, “The two songs share versions of a similar and unprotectable chord progression that was freely available to all songwriters.”

The Plaintiffs’ Case

Ed Townsend co-wrote “Let’s Get It On” with Gaye. Townsend’s daughter Kathryn Townsend Griffin, his sister Helen McDonald, and the estate of his former wife Cherrigale Townsend are all plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Gaye died in 1984, and Townsend died in 2003, per CNN Business.

Notorious attorney Ben Crump, who also represented George Floyd’s family, was selected as the lawyer for the plaintiffs. Crump described video footage of Sheeran segueing between the two songs during a 2017 concert as a “smoking gun” and tantamount to “a confession.” 

Previous Lawsuits

Gaye’s estate also sued singer Robin Thicke and producer Pharrell Williams for $7.4 million in 2015. They claimed the hit song “Blurred Lines” stole from Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up.” The family ultimately won, with a judge awarding them $5.3 million in addition to 50% percent of the royalties from “Blurred Lines” going forward.

Sheeran is also no stranger to lawsuits. A judge ruled in 2022 that the British singer’s single “Shape of You,” was not a copy of Sami Switch’s song “Oh Why.” Sheeran was also sued in 2016 over his single “Photograph.” That complaint was settled out of court, CNN noted.

Sheeran’s Thoughts on Lawsuits

The “Bad Habits” singer previously shared his feelings about these types of lawsuits following the 2022 incident. 

“It’s really damaging to the songwriting industry. There’s only so many notes and very few chords used in pop music,” Sheeran said during a video post he shared on Instagram.  

“Coincidence is bound to happen if 60,000 songs are being released every day on Spotify. That’s 22 million songs a year, and there’s only 12 notes that are available. I’m not an entity. I’m not a corporation. I’m a human being. I’m a father. I’m a husband. I’m a son. Lawsuits are not a pleasant experience.”

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