Ed Sheeran has emerged victorious in a highly-publicized copyright infringement case concerning his hit song “Thinking Out Loud” and Marvin Gaye’s iconic track “Let’s Get It On.” The decision, delivered by a federal jury in New York on May 4, clears Sheeran of any wrongdoing. The plaintiffs had claimed that Sheeran’s romantic ballad bore striking similarities to the 1973 classic, but the jury disagreed.
Following the ruling, Sheeran expressed his relief and frustration in a public statement. “I am obviously very happy with the outcome of the case, and it looks like I’m not going to have to retire from my day job after all,” he said, referencing his previous joke that he’d quit music if the case didn’t go in his favor. “But, at the same time, I am unbelievably frustrated that baseless claims like this are allowed to go to court at all.”
The lawsuit, filed in 2017 by the heirs of Ed Townsend, a co-writer of “Let’s Get It On,” accused Sheeran of copying essential elements from the Gaye classic. According to the plaintiffs, “Thinking Out Loud” violated the Copyright Act by borrowing melodies and structures from their late relative’s composition.
Sheeran, however, was adamant that the lawsuit was without merit, defending the fact that many songs are written using a standard set of chords and melodies, which no one can claim as their own. “We have spent the last eight years talking about two songs with dramatically different lyrics, melodies, and four chords which are also different and used by songwriters every day,” he explained. “These chords are common building blocks used long before ‘Let’s Get It On’ was written and will continue to be used by musicians worldwide.”
The singer also took aim at the potential threat such lawsuits pose to creative freedom, emphasizing how this case, in particular, had caused him considerable personal and emotional distress. “I am just a guy with a guitar who loves writing music for people to enjoy,” he said. “Having to be in New York for this trial meant I missed my grandmother’s funeral in Ireland. I won’t get that time back.”
Sheeran’s victory is especially significant as it follows another legal win in 2022, when he successfully defended his song “Shape of You” in a separate copyright case. Reflecting on the pattern of these lawsuits, Sheeran voiced concerns for the future of songwriting, advocating for better protection of artists’ rights and common-sense legal standards.
“We need songwriters and the wider musical community to come together to bring back common sense,” he added. “These claims need to be stopped so that the creative process can carry on, and we can all just go back to making music.”
The plaintiffs in the case declined to comment after the verdict, and no further statements were made by their legal team.
With this legal battle behind him, Sheeran’s victory serves as a reminder of the importance of safeguarding creativity and intellectual property while ensuring that frivolous lawsuits don’t stifle artistic expression.