Ed Sheeran faces U.S. copyright trial

Jury selection began on 24 April in Manhattan federal Court in the trial over allegations that British singer Ed Sheeran copied Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s get it on”. The singer appeared in court starting the following day.

Singer Marvin Gaye collaborated with fellow singer Ed Townsend on “Let’s get it on”, which topped the billboard charts in 1973.

The case started in 2017 when Townsend’s heirs sued Ed Sheeran, Warner Music Group and Sony Music Publishing, claiming that Ed Sheeran’s song “Thinking out loud” copied the melody, rhythm and harmony of the song written by Gaye and Townsend.

Ed Sheeran, for his part, defended himself against the allegations, claiming that while there were musical similarities between the songs, such similar elements were basic in nature and hence not copyrightable. In court, Sheeran testified for more than an hour, explaining the creative process behind his song “Thinking out loud”.

If the jury finds Sheeran liable for infringing Gaye and Townsend’s copyright, there will be a further trial to determine the amount of money Sheeran must pay.

We will be watching this trial closely.