British singer-songwriter, Ed Sheeran has won his copyright trial over similarities between his hit single “Thinking Out Loud” and the Marvin Gaye 1973 classic “Let’s Get It On”.
The Grammy-winner was accused of ripping off part of the famed soul track Gaye created with fellow songwriter Ed Townsend in a lawsuit originally filed by heirs of Townsend in 2017.
They alleged the British star’s 2014 number one has “striking similarities” to ‘Let’s Get It On’ and “overt common elements” that infringe their copyright.
Ed Sheeran denied any wrong doing and even went as far as saying that he will walk away from music should the jury find him guilty.
On Thursday, a New York jury decided that Sheeran did not infringe copyright of ‘Let’s Get It On’.
Those inside the court said Sheeran stood up and hugged his lawyers when the decision was read out, and his wife was seen wiping away tears.
Speaking outside court, Sheeran said he was “very happy” to have won his case and that he did “not have to retire from [his] day job after all”.
The jury took just under three hours to decide he independently created ‘Thinking Out Loud’.
The other defendants in the case were Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Atlantic Records through whom the music was released.
