Ed Sheeran Wins Copyright Trial as Jury Finds He Didn’t Copy Marvin Gaye

After a two-week trial, a jury in New York has ruled that British singer Ed Sheeran did not steal key components of Marvin Gaye’s classic tune “Let’s Get It On” when he created his hit song “Thinking Out Loud.”

In a statement outside the courthouse after the verdict, Sheeran thanked the jury for “making the decision that will help protect the creative process of songwriters” in the U.S. and elsewhere.

During the trial, Sheeran passionately defended himself against the lawsuit by the heirs of songwriter Ed Townsend, who created the 1973 soul classic with Gaye.

The plaintiffs claimed that “Thinking Out Loud” had so many similarities to “Let’s Get It On” that it violated the song’s copyright protection. Attorney Ben Crump even presented a video of Sheeran performing the two songs together as “smoking gun” proof he stole from the famous tune.

However, Sheeran repeatedly demonstrated how he creates “mashups” of songs during concerts to “spice it up a bit” for his sizeable crowds. He insisted that he stole nothing from “Let’s Get it On” when he wrote his tune. His lawyers argued that the songs shared versions of a similar and unprotectable chord progression freely available to all songwriters.

In the end, the judge instructed the jury that “independent creation is a complete defense, no matter how similar that song is,” and they sided with Sheeran. The ruling is a victory not only for Sheeran but for all musicians who create their own music. As Sheeran put it, “I am not and will never allow myself to be a piggybank for anyone to shake.”