ED SHEERAN

Ed Sheeran Explains How He Beat His Copyright Lawsuit

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Ed Sheeran has had an eventful couple of weeks. The singer has recently been battling the estate of Marvin Gaye’s co-writer the late Ed Townsend. Sheeran was being sued for similarities between his 2014 hit “Thinking Out Loud” and Gaye’s classic “Let’s Get It On.” However, throughout the case, Ed Sheeran and his defense team expressed the similarities were moot. His legal team stated that similar notes within the structure of the song are used in a multitude of songs we listen to all the time. Moreover, Sheeran even went as far as saying he would quit making music if found guilty.

Furthermore, the jury later deliberated and found Ed Sheeran not liable for copyright infringement. Thankfully the Division artist will continue to make music for our listening pleasure. Recently, Good Morning America caught up with Sheeran in an interview and he shared a few of his thoughts regarding the case. He revealed why he felt the jury’s decision went in his favor. Moreover, Sheeran said there were “101 songs with the same chord sequence, and that was just, like, scratching the surface.” The singer mentioned the jury, “was very quick to see that and be like, ‘Oh, yeah.’”

Ed Sheeran Sets The Record Straight

Although Ed Sheeran was being hyperbolic when saying it was over 100 songs with the same chord sequence to express a multitude, his point still reigned true. Since news of the lawsuit surfaced, Sheeran has swiftly and firmly denied all the allegations against him. Despite his song having similarities in chord progression and tempo, the singer was confident the jury would believe him. So much so he even performed “Thinking Out Loud” in a solo performance via acoustic guitar in the courtroom. It’s safe to say that, along with his testimony, helped sway the jury in his favor.

As if that wasn’t enough, the “Shape of You” singer even mashed his hit song with other similar sounding songs. When asked what prompted him to bring his guitar he said, “I’d been wanting to do it for ages since it came out, but you have to do due diligence in court.” Sheeran added, “So I just waited and knew that I would have my day to explain it and didn’t rush anything.” Meanwhile, a New York jury took no time at all (3 hours) to deliberate to reach a verdict in his favor. Outside the courtroom, Sheeran said, “These chords are common building blocks which were used to create music long before ‘Let’s Get It On’ was written and will be used to make music long after we are all gone.” For more music news tap into HNHH for the latest.

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Ed Sheeran Wins Copyright Case Accusing Him of Copying Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On”

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Ed Sheeran Wins Copyright Case Accusing Him of Copying Marvin Gaye

In a Manhattan federal court hearing on a copyright claim, Ed Sheeran was found not responsible for using significant portions of the Marvin Gaye ’70s hit song “Let’s Get It On” in his own song “Thinking Out Loud.”

The verdict was reached on Thursday (May 4), clearing Sheeran after a few hours of deliberation. The trial ran for two weeks. Sheeran spoke to the press after the court was adjourned.

Before deliberation, U.S. District Court Judge Louis Stanton said, “Independent creation is a complete defense, no matter how similar that song is.”

“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,” Sheeran said. I am absolutely frustrated that baseless claims like this are allowed to go to court at all… If the jury had decided this matter the other way, we might as well say goodbye to the creative freedom of songwriters.”

He said, “I am just a guy with a guitar who loves writing music for people to enjoy.”

The case ended amicably. According to The Associated Press, Sheeran thanked the jury while also speaking and exchanging pleasantries with the plaintiffs.

Sheeran would also release a full statement after the court was over, which is available below.

Good afternoon,

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 – but, at the same time, I am unbelievably frustrated that baseless claims like this are allowed to go to court at all. 

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, all over the world. 

These chords are common building blocks which were used to create music long before “Let’s Get It On” was written and will be used to make music long after we are all gone.  They are a songwriter’s ‘alphabet’, our tool kit and should be there for us all to use. No-one owns them or the way they are played, in the same way, nobody owns the color blue.

Unfortunately, unfounded claims like this one are being fueled by individuals who are offered as experts in musical analysis.  In this instance, the other side’s musicologist left out words and notes, presented simple (and different) pitches as melody, creating misleading comparisons and disinformation to find supposed similarities where none exist. They tried to manipulate my and Amy’s song to try to convince the jury that they had a genuine claim, and I am very grateful that the jury saw through those attempts.  This seems so dangerous to me, both for potential claimants who may be convinced to bring a bogus claim, as well as those songwriters facing them.  It is simply wrong. By stopping this practice, we can also properly support genuine music copyright claims so that legitimate claims are rightly heard and resolved. 

The post Ed Sheeran Wins Copyright Case Accusing Him of Copying Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” appeared first on The Source.

Ed Sheeran Missed His Grandmother’s Funeral While Battling Copyright Case Over Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On”

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While Ed Sheeran was in New York wrapping up his copyright case over allegedly copying Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” in the creation of his single “Thinking of You.” In Ireland, his grandmother was being laid to rest.

According to The Daily Mail, Sheeran’s 98-year-old grandmother died during the trial, and her funeral was on Wednesday.

During the services, Sheeran’s father spoke about missing his son during the occasion.

“I am very sad that our son Edward is unable to be here today. He’s so upset that he cannot be present — he has to be thousands of miles away in a court in America defending his integrity,” Sheeran’s father said. “I know he is comforted by the fact that he was able to spend some precious time alone with his grandma just a month ago.”

Ed Sheeran was reportedly able to watch the service online.

In a Manhattan federal court hearing, Ed Sheeran was found not responsible for using significant portions of the Marvin Gaye ’70s hit song “Let’s Get It On” in his own song “Thinking Out Loud.”

The verdict was reached on Thursday (May 4), clearing Sheeran after a few hours of deliberation. The trial ran for two weeks. Sheeran spoke to the press after the court was adjourned.

Before deliberation, U.S. District Court Judge Louis Stanton said, “Independent creation is a complete defense, no matter how similar that song is.”

“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,” Sheeran said. I am absolutely frustrated that baseless claims like this are allowed to go to court at all… If the jury had decided this matter the other way, we might as well say goodbye to the creative freedom of songwriters.”

He said, “I am just a guy with a guitar who loves writing music for people to enjoy.”

The case ended amicably. According to The Associated Press, Sheeran thanked the jury while also speaking and exchanging pleasantries with the plaintiffs.

The post Ed Sheeran Missed His Grandmother’s Funeral While Battling Copyright Case Over Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” appeared first on The Source.

Ed Sheeran Says He’s ‘Very Happy’ But ‘Absolutely Frustrated’ After His Win In The Marvin Gaye Plagiarism Trial

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Ed Sheeran 2023
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Today (May 4) was a big one for Ed Sheeran: He was facing a lawsuit over allegations of plagiarizing Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” for his own “Thinking Out Loud,” but the verdict in his favor was delivered this afternoon. Sheeran has shared his thoughts on the situation and he has mixed feelings.

After the ruling was handed out, outside the courthouse, Sheeran told reporters (as Evening Standard notes):

“I’m obviously very happy with the outcome of this case and it looks like I’m not going to have to retire from my day job after all. But at the same time, I am absolutely frustrated that baseless claims like this are allowed to go to court at all. If the jury had decided this matter the other way, we might as well say goodbye to the creative freedom of songwriters. We need to be able to write our original music and engage in independent creativity without worrying at every step on the way that said creativity will be wrongly called into question.”

(The singer’s joke about retirement references a recent comment he made about potentially being found guilty: “If that happens, I’m done, I’m stopping. I find it really insulting to devote my whole life to being a performer and a songwriter and have someone diminish it.”)

Sheeran also confirmed reports that he missed his grandmother’s funeral in Ireland due to the trial, saying that he “won’t get that time back” (as the Associated Press reports).

AP also noted of Sheeran’s immediate reaction to the verdict, “As the jury answered the single question of whether Sheeran proved he didn’t infringe upon the copyright in the affirmative, the crooner briefly put his hands over his face in relief before standing and hugging his lawyer. As jurors left the courtroom, Sheeran quietly mouthed “thank you” in their direction. He then spoke for about 10 minutes with the plaintiffs, including the daughter of Ed Townsend, who co-created the 1973 soul classic with Gaye. They hugged and smiled with each other.”

Ed Sheeran is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Ed Sheeran Found Not Liable In Copyright Trial

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Ed Sheeran has been in the headlines recently over his lawsuit against Marvin Gaye’s estate. Additionally, his estate alleges the U.K. singer is being sued for copyright infringement. Moreover, Gaye’s estate claims Ed Sheeran’s 2014 smash hit “Thinking Out Loud,” has striking similarities to Marvin Gaye’s classic “Let’s Get It On.” Specifically, Sheeran was hit with the lawsuit by Gaye’s co-writer Ed Townsend. He slammed the songwriter with allegations of “ripping” key elements from Gaye’s 1973 hit. The co-writer claimed the harmony and even the melody were taken from the song. However, Ed Sheeran’s defense team says otherwise.

Sheeran’s legal team told the courts that the elements of the song structurally, are undeniable. However, they also mentioned the symmetry points solely to the foundation of music. “The two songs share versions of a similar and unprotectable chord progression that was freely available to all songwriters,” said Sheeran’s defense team. Not only that, due to this case, it’s taken quite a toll on the “Shape of You” singer. When asked how the trial has affected him Ed Sheeran gave quite a somber response.

Ed Sheeran’s Not Quitting Music

Musician Ed Sheeran arrives for his copyright infringement trial at Manhattan Federal Court on May 04, 2023 in New York City. Sheeran is being sued for copyright infringement for his 2014 hit “Thinking Out Loud.” He is accused of copying Marvin Gaye’s legendary R&B song “Let’s Get It On”. Jury deliberations have began in the trial. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

The musician said, “I find it really insulting to devote my whole life to being a performer and a songwriter and have someone diminish it.” Not only that he noted if found guilty he would quit and stop making music. However, it appears that won’t be the case for the Grammy winning artist. Today the jury deliberated and made their verdict. The jury finds Ed Sheeran not liable for the copyright of Marvin Gaye’s “Lets Get It On.”

The singer received the verdict today after the jury made their decision. Thankfully we’ll still be getting new music from the Division musician. However, who knows how long that’ll be ’til we get anything new from Sheeran, due to the circumstances. Let us know what you think of the verdict in the comments below!

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The Jury Has Ruled In Ed Sheeran’s Favor In The Marvin Gaye Plagiarism Lawsuit Trial

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ed sheeran
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In recent days, Ed Sheeran has had a lot going on. One of the more annoying is surely the lawsuit he’s been facing from the heirs of Ed Townsend, a co-writer of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.” In the suit, it is alleged that Sheeran stole elements of the song and used them in his own hit single, 2014’s “Thinking Out Loud.” Now, the trial has concluded and the jury has reached a ruling, The Associated Press reports: He didn’t do it.

Today (May 4), the New York jury shared their conclusion about if “Sheeran proved he didn’t infringe upon the copyright” and they took his side. When the verdict was delivered and the two-week trial came to a close, Sheeran “briefly put his hands over his face in relief before standing and hugging his lawyer.”

In a recent interview with Zane Lowe, Sheeran said, “The thing with these cases, it’s not usually songwriters that are suing songwriters. I feel like in the songwriting community, everyone sort of knows that there’s four chords primarily that are used and there’s eight notes. And we work with what we’ve got, with doing that.”

Sheeran was so frustrated by the lawsuit that he recently said of potentially being found guilty, “If that happens, I’m done, I’m stopping. I find it really insulting to devote my whole life to being a performer and a songwriter and have someone diminish it.”

Ed Sheeran is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Ed Sheeran Wrote “Seven Songs In 4 Hours” After His Wife’s Cancer Diagnosis

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Ed Sheeran has written many songs with a common theme of love. For his wife, that theme is no different. Following the announcement of his new album, Sheeran shared there will be a documentary to accompany the release of the album called The Sum Of It All. Additionally, Sheeran shared his raw emotions in an upcoming documentary about how he felt learning about his wife’s cancer diagnosis. Cherry Seaborn, the wife of Ed Sheeran, was diagnosed with cancer after a tumor was found last year while finding out about her second pregnancy with Sheeran.

In the documentary, Sheran and Seaborn describe the way they coped as a couple after receiving the news. He began to cope with one of his strongest attributes as a musician. “We had the diagnosis of the tumor and the next day, Ed went down in the basement and wrote seven songs in four hours,” she said. Music is a form of therapy that has been a frequently used statement throughout its long history. Coincidentally, Sheeran turned to this method to explain his sudden sorrow. “Some people write in a diary and get their emotions out through the pen and for Ed, if something really intense happens, he’ll go and write a song,” she said.

Ed Sheeran And His Wife, Cherry Seaborn

Ed Sheeran and Cherry Seaborn during The BRIT Awards 2022 at The O2 Arena on February 08, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by JMEnternational/Getty Images)

Furthermore, Sheeran became notable in 2011 with the release of his project “+“. This project became a United States success for the UK-born musician. Its single “The A-Team” debuted at 96 on the Billboard Hot 100 but eventually shot to number 16. Sheeran’ssecond most successful song called “Thinking Out Loud” is 12 times platinum according to the Recording Industry Association of America. The song is currently at the center of a copywriter trial with the family of Marvin Gaye.

The family is seeing the alleged similarities between Sheeran’s song and Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.” Last week, Sheeran took the stand to perform the song in court. Moreover, Sheeran is set to release an album this upcoming Friday called “-” which is pronounced subtract. This new documentary The Sum Of It All will release this Wednesday, May 2 on Disney+.

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Ed Sheeran Vows To Quit Music

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It’s been a rough few weeks for Ed Sheeran. The singer has been in court due to a copyright lawsuit against Marvin Gaye’s estate. Additionally, Sheeran has been testifying in court for the “striking similarities” in his 2014 hit “Thinking Out Loud” to Gaye’s classic, “Let’s Get It On.” Despite being filed in 2017, the case has finally made its way to a judge. Ed Sheeran received a Grammy for Song of the Year for the single upon its release. The jury is instructed to consider the raw elements of melody, harmony, and rhythm, that make up the composition of the Motown classic.

However, Ed Sheeran’s legal team denies all allegations. They said the elements of the song structurally are undeniable. With that being said, Sheeran’s team also noted that the symmetry points solely to the foundation of popular music. “The two songs share versions of a similar and unprotectable chord progression that was freely available to all songwriters,” said Ed Sheeran’s legal team. Moreover, this isn’t the first time Marvin Gaye’s estate has sued for similarities. Robin Thick, T.I., and Pharrell ran into legal troubles with the singer’s estate. Over similarities to Gaye’s hit song “Got To Give It Up,” his estate was awarded millions in the lawsuit. It’s still one of the largest copyright lawsuits to date.

Ed Sheeran Is Hangin’ It Up

In Ed’s recent testimony, if found guilty of copyright, he will quit music. On Monday the “Shape of You” singer testified and vehemently denied all allegations and claims. When asked by his attorney Illene Farkas to explain the “toll” the lawsuit has taken on him he responded candidly. He said if found guilty, “I’m done, I’m stopping.” Additionally, Sheeran noted, “I find it really insulting to devote my whole life to being a performer and a songwriter and have someone diminish it.”

It would be terrible to see such a talent like Ed Sheeran stop making music if found guilty. However, just for clarity, it isn’t Marvin Gaye’s family that’s suing Ed Sheeran for plagiarizing his song. It’s his co-writer Ed Townsends estate that filed the case against the U.K. singer. Gaye’s family actually has nothing to do with the case personally. How do you feel about all of this? Do you think Ed Sheeran would really quit making music if found guilty? Let the HNHH staff know in the comments section below!