Ed Sheeran Condemns 'Dangerous' Copyright Claims After Winning Lawsuit

Singer Ed Sheeran expressed his concern about “dangerous” copyright claims after he emerged victorious in a lawsuit against allegations of copying the Marvin Gaye classic, “Let’s Get It On,” in his Grammy-winning song, “Thinking Out Loud.” Ed Sheeran Condemns

The artist was happy with the verdict outside the Manhattan federal court on Thursday but frustrated that “baseless claims like this are allowed to go to court at all.” The family of Ed Townsend, the late co-writer of the song, accused Sheeran of using the sheet music, rhythm, chord progression, and other elements from the 1973 soul classic without permission for his 2014 hit song.

However, Sheeran pointed out that the two songs had “dramatically different lyrics, melodies, and four chords,” which are common building blocks in a songwriter’s “alphabet” and “should be there for all of us to use.” He added that nobody owns them and “the way they are played, in the same way, that nobody owns the color blue.”

The plaintiff’s musicologist attempted to mislead the jury during the trial by making “misleading comparisons” between the two songs, which Sheeran called dangerous for the creative freedom of songwriters.

Sheeran said that if he had been found liable, it would be goodbye to the creative freedom of songwriters. “We need to be able to write our original music and engage in independent creation without worrying at every step of the way that such creativity will be wrongly called into question,” he said.

Sheeran expressed disappointment about missing his grandmother’s funeral in Ireland due to the trial in New York. However, he thanked the co-writer of “Thinking Out Loud,” Amy Wadge, and the jury for deciding to help protect the songwriters’ creative process worldwide.

Renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represented the plaintiffs, argued that the case is about “giving credit where credit is due.” Crump said that Sheeran recognized the magic of “Let’s Get It On” and infringed on its copyright for the tune that won him his first Grammy.

For You: Ed Sheeran wins Thinking Out Loud copyright case | Celeb Critics

This isn’t the first time either artist’s music has been the center of a copyright trial. Sheeran won a copyright infringement case last year involving “Shape of You,” while Gaye’s heirs won a lawsuit in 2015 against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams involving “Got to Give it Up.” The plaintiffs declined to make a statement outside the courthouse following the verdict.