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British pop star, Ed Sheeran was recently accused of plagiarizing Mavin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” in his song, “Thinking Out Loud.” The heirs of co-writer Ed Townsend Jr. launched legal actions against Ed Sheeran and associated music companies, alleging copyright infringement. Guess what? Billboard discovered both songs share similarities in terms of bass lines, melodies, harmonic rhythms, percussion and harmonic progressions.
Three separate lawsuits were brought by different entities within Townsend’s estate seeking to establish their claim. The gravity of the situation is palpable, casting a shadow over the acclaimed British artist’s career. However, this case is not an isolated one in the history of Sheeran’s career. Over the past few years, he has been involved in a series of copyright scandals, some settled out of court and others taken to court.
Did Ed Sheeran Rip Off Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” In “Thinking Out Loud?”
After careful deliberation in a two-week trial, the jury reached a verdict that the popular track “Thinking Out Loud” did not infringe upon the copyright of Gaye’s composition, bringing an end to the heated debate surrounding the alleged plagiarism. Interestingly, another entity had also brought an additional lawsuit worth a staggering $100 million against the song.
Structured Asset Sales made headlines when they penned a letter to a New York judge, requesting permission to become part of the lawsuit involving “Thinking Out Loud.”
Their claim stemmed from an alleged deal made with Clef Michael Townsend, one of Townsend Jr.’s children, which purportedly granted them partial ownership of the copyright or a stake in the proceeds from the iconic song “Let’s Get It On.” However, U.S. District Judge Richard Sullivan dismissed the motion, deeming it “clearly untimely.”
Judge Stanton concluded the elements of “Let’s Get It On” that Sheeran was accused of infringing were too commonplace to merit copyright protection. Structured Asset Sales has launched yet another lawsuit against the acclaimed singer-songwriter, claiming that the jury will have the opportunity to hear the original recording of the iconic song unlike the previous trial involving Townsend’s estate, where the jury listened to a computerized rendition of the sheet music for “Let’s Get It On.”
Ed Sheeran’s “Shape Of You” Allegedly Copied TLC’s No Scrub And Sami Chokri’s “Oh Why”
According to BBC, in 2017, Sheeran made a noteworthy move to address the observations made by fans concerning similarities between “Shape of You” and TLC’s iconic track No Scrubs. While no legal case was filed against him, Sheeran took a proactive step to acknowledge the similarities by adding the writers of No Scrubs to the credits of his chart-topping single.
Sheeran was also accused of alleged similarities between a section of Sheeran’s chart-topping hit “Shape Of You” which made him the most money and Sami Chokri’s 2015 song, “Oh Why.”
Sheeran, along with his co-writers John McDaid of Snow Patrol and producer Steven McCutcheon, vehemently denied allegations of plagiarism surrounding their chart-topping hit. In a courtroom showdown in 2022, Sheeran prevailed, successfully refuting the claims that he had copied Chokri’s composition to create his masterpiece.
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Following the verdict, Sheeran took to social media and lamented the growing trend in the music industry, where claims are made with the expectation that settling out of court will be more financially viable than pursuing a legal battle, regardless of the merit behind the allegations.On the other hand, Chokri expressed a sense of feeling “robbed” by an artist he once held in high regard.
Ed Sheeran Settled Lawsuit Over Alleged Plagiarism In “Photograph”
Sheeran found himself facing allegations of “note-for-note copying” in his hit song “Photograph.” The legal action, initiated by songwriters Martin Harrington and Thomas Leonard, alleged that the chorus of “Photograph” shared remarkable resemblances to their song “Amazing,” which was performed by Matt Cardle, the victorious contestant of the British version of The X Factor in the year 2010.
The crux of the lawsuit revolved around the claim that 39 identical notes were present in the chorus sections of both “Photograph” and “Amazing.” The court documents presented a compelling case, shedding light on the perceived similarities between the two compositions. Sheeran and his songwriting partner McDaid settled with the songwriters, ending the lawsuit that had been filed in the United States. However, Sheeran later expressed regret over the settlement, noting that it opened the floodgates for further plagiarism claims.
Fans Accused Ed Sheeran Of Ripping Off The Weeknd In “Bad Habits”
Sheeran found himself being accused of ripping off another artist in his music video for “Bad Habits.” Fans were quick to notice uncanny resemblances between Sheeran’s visuals and The Weeknd, sparking conversations even before the official release of Sheeran’s music video.
Once Bad Habits was released, Twitter became a hotbed of comparisons between Sheeran’s video and The Weeknd’s highly stylized “After Hours” era.
During this era, the Canadian R&B/pop sensation portrayed an enigmatic antihero in a striking red suit, captivating audiences with his live performances, red-carpet appearances, and music videos. It was also pointed out that “Bad Habits” took on an ’80s sound, a departure from Sheeran’s previous musical releases.
Ed Sheeran Settled Lawsuit Over Alleged Plagiarism Of “When I Found You”
Australian songwriters Sean Carey and Beau Golden filed a lawsuit against Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, as well as co-writer Ed Sheeran, over their song “The Rest of Our Life.” Carey and Golden alleged that the song was an almost “note for note copy” of their composition “When I Found You.”
The lawsuit filed by Carey and Golden, was prompted by a tweet from a fan who noticed striking similarities between McGraw and Hill’s song and Rae’s composition. Rae, although open to pursuing songwriting royalties, chose not to be a plaintiff in the lawsuit and expressed her reluctance to sue the couple or Sony.
The legal action sought damages of $5 million, naming Sony Music Entertainment, the label that released “The Rest of Our Life” under its Arista Nashville imprint, and Sheeran’s publisher Sony/ATV Songs among the defendants.
Sheeran eventually settled the alleged copyright infringement in 2018. The news came after a lawyer representing the songwriters, Carey and Golden, announced that all parties involved had agreed in principle to settle the case. The agreement stipulated that the lawsuit would be dismissed within 30 days if any remaining “final issues” were successfully resolved.
