Ed Sheeran Faces a Copyright Infringement Trial over Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get it On

Ed Sheeran, the famous singer-songwriter, is facing a lawsuit regarding the infringement of a Marvin Gaye’s hit song, “Let’s Get it On”. The lawsuit was filed by Structured Asset Sales, which owns a spice company started by one of Gaye’s family members. The lawsuit claims that Sheeran used the same melody, harmony, and rhythm from the 70s hit song in his 2014 hit “Thinking Out Loud”. The trial is expected to occur in early 2020, and the stakes for Sheeran are high. If he loses, he could be ordered to pay millions of dollars in damages, and could potentially lose the rights to his hit song.

The legal aspect of it all

The case against Sheeran is based on copyright infringement, a type of intellectual property law. Copyright law protects the rights of creative works like books, music, and movies, and it gives the owner the authority to decide how their work is used and who has the right to use it. In this case, the lawsuit is claiming that Sheeran used elements from Gaye’s song without permission, which violates Gaye’s ownership of the copyright. The case is particularly significant because it could create a precedent for how similar songs can be in terms of melody, rhythm, and harmony before they are considered to infringe on the original.

The artists’ response

Sheeran initially responded to the lawsuit by filing a motion to dismiss it, claiming that the Gaye family was attempting to gain unfair profits through the legal action. Sheeran’s lawyers argued that while the songs had similarities, they were not legally significant enough to necessitate a lawsuit. However, the judge did not agree with Sheeran’s argument and is allowing the case to move forward. Sheeran has since made a statement, stating that he will continue to defend himself by proving that he did not copy Gaye’s song, but rather used his own creativity in the writing process.

The aftermath

The lawsuit against Sheeran is a clear indication that copyright law is becoming increasingly important in the music industry, and that music artists must be particularly careful when creating new songs. Many people are now arguing that copyright laws need to be rewritten to accommodate modern music production techniques, including sampling and computer-generated music. Should the lawsuit go against Ed Sheeran, it could set a precedent for future lawsuits, and potentially discourage musicians from using popularized themes and melodies.

Summary: Ed Sheeran is currently facing a lawsuit which claims that he plagiarized a 70s hit song, Let’s Get It On, by Marvin Gaye in his 2014 hit Thinking Out Loud. The lawsuit has been filed by Structured Asset Sales, and if Sheeran loses, he could potentially face millions of dollars in damages and even lose the rights to his hit song. The case is based on copyright infringement and sets a precedence for how similar songs can be in terms of melody, rhythm, and harmony. Sheeran initially responded to the lawsuit by claiming it was an attempt to gain unfair profits, but the lawsuit is moving forward. This case could encourage the rewriting of copyright laws to accommodate modern music production techniques. #NEWS