A federal jury in Manhattan has ruled that pop star Ed Sheeran did not infringe on the copyright of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” with his 2014 hit, “Thinking Out Loud”.
The verdict was reached after a two-week trial, with jurors unanimously deciding that Sheeran had independently created his song and was not liable for copyright infringement.
The lawsuit was brought by the heirs of Ed Townsend, who co-wrote “Let’s Get It On” with Gaye. The plaintiffs alleged that Sheeran, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music Publishing had stolen from the soul classic, violating federal copyright law.
However, Sheeran maintained that he composed “Thinking Out Loud” independently with British songwriter Amy Wadge, who was not named in the lawsuit.
The trial saw Sheeran take the stand in defense of his Grammy-award winning song, which has over 2.8 billion views on YouTube. Upon hearing the verdict, Sheeran stood up and hugged his lawyers, while his wife and Wadge were seen in tears.
Last April, Sheeran also appeared in court involving another one of his hits, 2017's “Shape of You”, in a similar copyright infringement case. In that case, a London judge ruled in favor of Sheeran and awarded him more than $1.1 million in legal fees.
While Gaye passed away in 1984, and Townsend died in 2003, their music continues to inspire new generations of artists. Sheeran’s victory in this latest case is a significant win for artists and their creative rights.
"If that happens, I’m done, I’m stopping" - Ed Sheeran, on the possibility of losing the case.
This verdict has undoubtedly come as a relief to Sheeran, who had threatened to quit music if he had lost. The ruling has also set a precedent for future copyright infringement cases in the music industry.