Ed Sheeran will be taking the stand in court today amidst the copyright trial against Marvin Gaye's estate, according to The Daily Mail. The UK singer is being sued for striking similarities in his 2014 hit record "Thinking Out Loud" that allegedly rips off Gaye's bedroom classic "Let's Get It On." The heirs of Ed Townsend, Gaye's co-writer, are suing Sheeran with damning allegations. They allege "striking similarities" and "overt common elements" between the songs. Despite being filed in 2017, the lawsuit has finally made its way before a judge and jury.
The trial is set to last a week in the Manhattan federal courtroom of 95-year-old Judge Louis L. Stanton. Ed Sheeran won a Grammy for song of the year with "Thinking Out Loud" upon its release in 2014. However, "Let's Get It On," was one of Motown's best-known singles. It landed the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Pop Singles in 1973. Furthermore, the jury is expected to consider the raw elements of melody, harmony, and rhythm, that make up the composition of "Let's Get It On." Regardless, Ed Sheeran's lawyers have said their rebuttals.
Ed Sheeran's Being Sued For Copyright
They said the songs' undeniable structural symmetry points solely to the foundation of popular music. "The two songs share versions of a similar and unprotectable chord progression that was freely available to all songwriters," they said in court records. While this case may be polarizing, Gaye's estate is not involved. However, it does bring back remnants of their successful infamous lawsuit against Robin Thicke, Pharrell, and T.I. Gaye's estate was awarded millions over resemblances to the 2013 smash hit "Blurred Lines" to Gaye's "Got To Give It Up."
Not only that, it was dubbed as one of the most significant copyright cases to date. Sheeran's label Atlantic Records and Sony/ATV Music Publishing are also named as defendants in the lawsuit. Usually, plaintiffs start broad when naming defendants, however, a judge can eliminate any names if necessary. How do you feel about this lawsuit, did Ed Sheeran rip off Marvin Gaye? Let us know what you think in the comments!