English singer denies copying Marvin Gaye’s classic; Ed Sheeran plagiarism case

In a New York courtroom on Tuesday, Ed Sheeran appeared as a witness to reject the claims that his popular song ‘Thinking Out Loud’ copied Marvin Gaye’s soul classic ‘Let’s Get It On’, reported the Associated Press. The family of Ed Townsend, Gaye’s co-writer, who was behind the 1973 soul classic, has accused the English star of violating their copyright, alleging that his 2014 hit had “striking similarities” and “overt common elements” with Gaye’s song. The plaintiff’s attorney, Keisha Rice, cross-examined Sheeran, who wore a dark suit and tie, and at times, the testimony was contentious. Sheeran denied copying the song, stating that he had written it himself.

He responded to a video played in court that showed him seamlessly transitioning between the two songs, saying it is easy to blend songs in the same key, but he would be a fool to do that on stage before an audience of 20,000 people.

Earlier in the day, Ben Crump, the lawyer representing Townsend’s heirs, told jurors that the combination of the two songs was comparable to “a confession.”

“We have a smoking gun,” he said, referring to the concert footage showing Sheeran switching between the two songs. Crump claimed that the case was about “giving credit where credit is due.”

Sheeran looked on while his 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 stated that the chord progression and fundamental building blocks used in Sheeran’s song are frequently used and didn’t originate in ‘Let’s Get It On.’

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.

Townsend, who was a singer, songwriter, and lawyer and also wrote the 1958 R&B doo-wop hit ‘For Your Love,’ passed away in 2003. Kathryn Townsend Griffin, his 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. (Agencies)

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