Global Courant 2023-05-04 22:59:52
Ed Sheeran has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit involving his Grammy-winning song “Thinking Out Loud” and the Marvin Gaye classic “Let’s Get It On.”
A Manhattan jury has found the musician not guilty of willful copyright infringement after a lawsuit involving Sheeran played guitar and sang in court.
The jury reached a decision after deliberating for about three hours.
Sheeran, seated at the defense table in a suit and tie between his lawyers, hugged his lawyers as the verdict was read.
“I’m obviously very happy with the outcome of the case. And it looks like I don’t have to retire from my day job after all,” Sheeran told reporters outside the courthouse. “But at the same time I am incredibly frustrated that unfounded claims like this are allowed to go to court at all.”
Singer Ed Sheeran leaves Manhattan federal court after winning his New York City copyright case May 2, 2023.
David “Dee” Delgado/Reuters
The plaintiffs declined to make a statement outside the courthouse after the verdict.
Sheeran had been accused of copying the sheet music for “Let’s Get It On” by the family of the song’s late co-writer, Ed Townsend.
During opening arguments in Manhattan federal court, noted civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents the plaintiffs, said the case is about “giving credit where credit is due.”
The lawsuit alleges Sheeran copied without permission the rhythm, chord progression and other elements for his 2014 song “Thinking Out Loud” from the 1973 soul classic “Let’s Get It On,” which Crump said has become a “cornerstone.” in the American experience. .
Crump said Sheeran “recognized the magic of ‘Let’s Get It On'” and infringed copyright for the tune that won him his first Grammy.
The defense, meanwhile, said Sheeran and co-writer Amy Wadge “independently” created the song “Thinking Out Loud.”
“Their song was born out of an emotional conversation,” said Sheeran’s attorney, Ilene Farkas. “It was their original creation.”
Singer Ed Sheeran addresses the media after his copyright trial in Manhattan federal court, in New York City, May 4, 2023.
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
Sheeran took the stand during the trial, singing and sometimes playing guitar during his testimony.
At one point, the musician performed a mash-up on guitar of his songs and those of Marvin Gaye, trying to demonstrate how common the four-chord progression was for his hit “Thinking Out Loud.”
Sheeran also performed part of “Thinking Out Loud” when discussing the creation process with Wadge.
He testified that his producers came to refer to “Thinking Out Loud” as Sheeran’s Van Morrison tune because of the similarities and influence Sheeran said the Northern Irish singer provided.
Singer Ed Sheeran will arrive in Manhattan federal court for his New York City copyright trial on May 2, 2023.
David Dee Delgado/Reuters
During her closing argument, Farkas said the case should never have been brought and that Sheeran was “wrongfully” accused of copying “Let’s Get It On”.
“We all benefit when artists are free to create and build on what came before them,” said Farkas, who warned the jury that a verdict against Sheeran would mean “creativity will be suppressed for fear of prosecution “.
Crump told jurors that a videotape of Sheeran in concert merging “Thinking Out Loud” with “Let’s Get It On” is their “smoking gun” and shows the offending similarities. The plaintiffs showed a video of Sheeran playing a mashup of the two songs in concert.
When he took the stand after the viewing, Sheeran told the court: “If I had done what you are accusing me of, I would be quite an idiot to be on stage in front of 25,000 people.”
Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse on Thursday, juror Sophia Neis said the jury “thought long and hard” about the questions they were being asked.
“In the end, we came to what we thought was the correct interpretation of the law that we got,” Neis said.
Townsend’s heirs sued Sheeran, Warner Music Group and Sony Music Publishing in 2017.
This isn’t the first time the two men’s music has been at the center of a copyright lawsuit. Sheeran won a copyright infringement lawsuit last year regarding “Shape of You,” while Gaye’s heirs, who are not involved in this current lawsuit, won a 2015 case against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams regarding “Shape of You.” Got to Give it Up’.
