According to a report by the Associated Press, on Tuesday, Ed Sheeran appeared as a witness in a New York courtroom to deny allegations that his hit song ‘Thinking Out Loud’ copied Marvin Gaye’s soul classic ‘Let’s Get It On.’ The family of Gaye’s co-writer, Ed Townsend, has accused Sheeran of violating their copyright, stating that his 2014 hit has ‘striking similarities’ and ‘overt common elements’ with Gaye’s song. Sheeran, who wore a dark suit and tie, denied copying the song, stating that he had written it himself. He also responded to a video played in court that showed him seamlessly transitioning between the two songs, saying that blending songs in the same key is easy, but he would be foolish to do that before an audience of 20,000 people.
Earlier that day, Ben Crump, the lawyer representing Townsend’s heirs, told jurors that the combination of the two songs was comparable to ‘a confession.’ Crump claimed that the case was about ‘giving credit where credit is due.’
However, Sheeran’s lawyer, Ilene Farkas, argued that he and his co-writer, Amy Wadge, wrote their song independently and did not take any inspiration from Townsend and Gaye’s work. Farkas also stated that the chord progression and fundamental building blocks used in Sheeran’s song are frequently used and did not originate in ‘Let’s Get It On.’
Kathryn Townsend Griffin, Ed Townsend’s daughter, is the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit. While testifying, she said that she believes Ed Sheeran is a fantastic artist with a bright future, but she has to protect her father’s legacy. ‘Let’s Get It On’ has been played in numerous films and commercials and has received hundreds of millions of streams, spins, and radio plays since its release in 1973. ‘Thinking Out Loud’ won a Grammy for song of the year in 2016. The lawsuit was filed in 2017, and the trial is predicted to last up to two weeks.
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