Not long after leaving a deflated Robin Thicke in their wake, the Marvin Gaye estate is looking to make short work of megastar Ed Sheeran. As you might know, Sheeran has been entangled in a legal battle with the Gayes, which originally stemmed due to similarities between his "Thinking Out Loud," and Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On." Now, it would appear that Sheeran's fate will be left up to the whims of a jury, as the case is officially set to see trial.
A report from MSNBC states that U.S. District Judge Louis Stanton has neglected Sheeran's efforts to dismiss the lawsuit, which might not bode well for the beloved singer. By this point, Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" has already secured two Grammy wins since appearing on 2014's X, and has solidified itself as an essential addition to the Ed canon. Yet Judge Stanton has deemed the similarities with "Let's Get It On" to be notable enough for a more thorough analysis.
With the trial set to go down in the near future, Sheeran, Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Atlantic Records are looking to avoid paying up to $100 million in sought-after damages. Of course, music lawsuits of this nature can often feel somewhat divisive, as chord progressions simply cannot be copywritten. Yet should Sheeran take the L, it's likely that a bounce-back won't be difficult. It's fair to dub him one of the biggest artists in the world, and he's still in the process of plotting his next move. Let's see how this one shakes out.