Ed Sheeran Cleared Of Infringing Copyright In Marvin Gaye Lawsuit

ABSTRACT

The charges that Ed Sheeran's successful song "Thinking Out Loud" illegally sampled Marvin Gaye's classic song "Let's Get It On" were the focus of the Ed Sheeran and Marvin Gaye copyright infringement case. The lawsuit sparked ongoing discussions about the challenges of determining musical similarity and copyright protection in the constantly changing landscape of creative expression. The trial ultimately found in Favor of Sheeran, but it raised questions about the limits of inspiration and copyright in music.

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The British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran was found not guilty of copyright infringement by a New York jury in a case that was carefully followed by the whole world of entertainment. It will be viewed as a significant win for music artists that the lawsuit, which concentrated on whether Sheeran plagiarized Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On, was dismissed. Sheeran has previously stated that if he lost the case, he would leave the industry. "If that happens, I'm done, I'm stopping," he said. To spend my entire life as a performer and songwriter and have someone disparage it, I find it quite offensive. Sheeran hugged his attorney when the judge announced the judgment. Both his co-writer Amy Wadge and wife Cherry Seaborn were said to be in tears.

"I am obviously very happy with the outcome of the case, and it looks like I am not going to have to retire from my day job after all," Sheeran told reporters following the hearing. However, I'm also incredibly irritated that such illegitimate accusations may even be brought in court. Being accused of stealing another person's work, he claimed, was "devastating." He described himself as "just a guy with a guitar who loves writing music for people to enjoy" and vowed to never let himself become "a piggybank for anyone to shake." Ilene Farkas, Sheeran's attorney, had previously referred to the chord progressions and rhythms of Gaye's classic and Sheeran's single Thinking Out Loud as "the letters of the alphabet of music" in front of the Manhattan federal court jury. All of us who love music would be worse off without these fundamental elements, she said. "Songwriters now and forever must be free to use them." Sheeran and his record company are being sued by the descendants of Gaye's co-writer Ed Townsend, although Keisha Rice, who is representing them, argued that her clients had not claimed ownership of the fundamental components of music but rather "the way in which these common elements were uniquely combined."

Ed Sheeran outside court in Manhattan. Sheeran was sued by the heirs of Marvin Gaye’s co-writer Ed Townsend | Source: Alexi J Rosenfeld/Getty Images

She had previously encouraged the jury to use their "common sense" to determine if the songs are comparable. "Mr Sheeran is counting on you to be very, very overwhelmed by his commercial success," she added. No matter how close that music sounds, independent production is a full defines, the judge had stated as she ordered the jury into deliberations. After spending three hours deliberating, the jury decided. In 2017, Townsend's heirs filed a lawsuit against Sheeran, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music Publishing, alleging that their copyright rights in the song by Marvin Gaye had been violated. Townsend's daughter Kathryn Townsend Griffin stated that she had to safeguard her "father's legacy." During the trial, Sheeran and Wadge both testified that they did not replicate Let's Get It On. Thinking Out Loud was influenced by Irish artist Van Morrison, according to Sheeran, who claimed to have just a passing knowledge with the song.

A video of Sheeran fusing the two songs live was presented. He said, "I'd be quite an idiot to stand on stage in front of 25,000 people if I had done what you're accusing me of doing." In the same court, a corporation run by investment banker David Pullman is suing the singer for copyright violations related to the Marvin Gaye song Thinking Out Loud. In a second copyright battle involving his single Shape of You, Sheeran prevailed in court last year in London. In 2015, Gaye's heirs were awarded $5.3 million as a result of a lawsuit alleging that the songs Got to Give It Up and Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams were plagiarized. The artist is the focus of the recently released Disney+ documentary docuseries Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All. He said that the trial caused him to miss his grandmother's burial in a promotional interview with CBS. He said outside of court today, "These cases have a major toll on everyone involved. The fifth studio album by Sheeran, Subtract, will be available starting this Friday. He is one of the best-selling musicians of all time with over 150 million albums sold to date.

Conclusion

The Ed Sheeran and Marvin Gaye copyright infringement case demonstrated the difficulties in determining musical similarities under copyright law. It served as a reminder that, while artistic inspiration is a normal component of creative expression, clear boundaries and rules are essential in identifying when such influence enters the realm of infringement.

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*This article was authored by Braj Bhushan, Student from Symbiosis Law School, Noida and reviewed by Pihoo Agrawal, Student from Symbiosis Law School, Noida.