The line between inspiration and plagiarism often trips the best of us. Artists usually pick a little scrap from something that exists and find a way to create something new. This is why the lawsuit against Ed Sheeran is a disturbing sign of artistic integrity. The English singer-songwriter finds himself in trouble with the copyright infringement law, not for the first time. 

Ed Sheeran is currently proving his innocence in a Manhattan federal court. He is accused of lifting elements from Marvin Gaye’s iconic R&B song ‘Let’s Get It On’ for his 2014 smash hit ‘Thinking Out Loud.’ The lawsuit is brought to court by the family of Ed Townsend. He was the co-writer and composer of the song, which landed Ed Sheeran in legal trouble.

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Ed Sheeran’s Response To The Copyright Infringement Lawsuit

‘The Shape Of You’ hitmaker will leave the music business for good if found guilty. When asked about the lawsuit’s toll on him, Sheeran opened up about the trial exhausting him completely. He added, “I find it really insulting to devote my whole life to being a performer and a songwriter and have someone diminish it.” Sheeran maintains ‘Thinking Out Loud’ is a unique composition.

Ed Townsend’s family, including his daughter Kathryn Townsend Griffin, dragged the English musician to court in 2016 for a copyright infringement lawsuit. The Townsend family claims “striking similarities” between ‘Let’s Get It On’ and ‘Thinking Out Loud.’ The lawsuit states, “The melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic compositions in ‘Thinking’ are not the product of independent creation.”

In Case You Missed: Did Ed Sheeran Commit Plagiarism On Superhit Song ‘Thinking Out Loud’?

Previous Lawsuit Against Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran has previously said two songs can sound similar since they share identical compositional blocks. These elements that make music don’t fall under any copyright law. But this isn’t his first brush with legal trouble. Sheeran has previously been sued for ‘liberally borrowing’ from other artists.

Ed Sheeran got in trouble for his 2017 song ‘Shape Of You.’ British singer Sami Chokri and writer Ross O’Donoghue accused him of stealing their song ‘Oh Why.’ Fortunately for Sheeran, the court ruled in his favor and freed him of all charges in 2022. He was offered $1.1 million in legal costs.

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