Ed Sheeran wins $100m Marvin Gaye copyright lawsuit
Updated | By Tamlyn Canham
Ed vowed to quit music if he lost the copyright trial, but his fans will be pleased to know that he won't be going into early retirement.
Ed Sheeran can breathe a sigh of relief after a New York court cleared him of plagiarising Marvin Gaye's 1973 song, 'Let's Get It On'.
The 32-year-old was facing a $100-million (R1.8-billion) lawsuit from the family of Ed Townsend - the R&B and soul legend's writing partner.
His daughter, Kathryn Griffin Townsend, claimed that Ed's Grammy Award-winning song, 'Thinking Out Loud', copied the chord progression of 'Let's Get It On'.
Ed testified in the trial and went as far as playing his guitar on the stand so the jury could listen to the open chords. He also sang a bit of his song.
The singer's lawyers argued that "the two songs share versions of a similar and unprotectable chord progression that was freely available to all songwriters".
A few days before the jury reached a verdict, Ed vowed that he would quit music if he lost the case.
"If that happens, I’m done — I’m stopping. I find it really insulting to work my whole life as a singer-songwriter and diminish it," he told the New York Post.
well if you REALLLY listen side by side they have the same chords and beathttps://t.co/3m3LUDEbUc
— Asia😵💫 (@iminasialand) May 3, 2023
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Well, it looks like Ed won't be giving up his career anytime soon.
After deliberating for less than three hours, the seven-person jury cleared the singer of copyright infringement.
Ed was visibly emotional as the verdict was read.
"I’m just a guy with a guitar who loves writing music for people to enjoy. I am not and will not allow myself to be a piggy bank for anyone to shake," he told reporters outside of the courtroom.
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“I am obviously very happy with the outcome of the case,” Ed Sheeran said in a statement that he read outside a Manhattan courthouse. A jury found the pop singer did not copy Marvin Gaye’s classic “Let’s Get It On” for his hit “Thinking Out Loud.” https://t.co/XoS7iRuHfw pic.twitter.com/PLVMnIT0oz
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 4, 2023
Main image credit: Instagram/@teddysphotos
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