Ed Sheeran Denies Ripping Off , Marvin Gaye Song at Copyright Trial.
Ed Sheeran Denies Ripping Off , Marvin Gaye Song at Copyright Trial.
Sheeran has been accused by the family of Marvin Gaye's co-writer, Ed Townsend, of copying the 1973 song, "Let's Get It On.".
Their lawyer, Ben Crump, says the "smoking gun" proving Sheeran's alleged guilt was when he played "Thinking Out Loud" and "Let's Get It On" in a back-to-back medley at a concert.
Sheeran, who testified in New York on April 25, said he "would’ve been an idiot to stand on stage in front of 20,000 people" if he actually copied the song.
His lawyer, Ilene Farkas, argued that
"no one owns basic musical building blocks" that are often found in pop music.
Plaintiff Kathryn Townsend Griffin was then
asked by Sheeran's other lawyer, Donald Zakarin, if she
was aware that "Let's Get It On" has the same chord progression as "Heart and Soul" and "Earth Angel.".
She said she never thought about
dissecting a song for its similarities until hearing Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud.".
This isn't the first time Sheeran has
faced legal issues over his music.
After winning a 2022 case over "Shape of You," Sheeran took to Instagram to voice his concerns.
It’s really damaging to the songwriting industry. There’s
only so many notes and very
few chords used in pop music. , Ed Sheeran, via 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, Ed Sheeran, via Instagram.
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, Ed Sheeran, via Instagram