Ed Sheeran celebrated a big court win Thursday after a jury found the “Bad Habits” singer didn’t copy Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” in his own 2014 song, “Thinking Out Loud.”
Sheeran, 32, shared a statement on Instagram shortly after leaving the New York courthouse following his win.
“It’s all over, back to what I love doing,” he captioned a video clip addressing the public. “New album out tomorrow, USA tour starts Saturday in Dallas, love you all.”
Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild wrote, “Congrats Ed!!!! This is a victory for all of us.”
JURY RULES ED SHEERAN NOT LIABLE IN COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT CASE OVER MARVIN GAYE SONG
Ed Sheeran won his copyright trial in New York. (Timothy A. Clary)
One Direction member Niall Horan was quick to give support to his British friend and threw a slew of heart emoji in the comments. Dance music duo Disclosure simply wrote, “Thank you, Ed.”
Indian singer and songwriter Armaan Malik shared, “No matter what, good people always win. Love and respect Ed.”
English chef and restaurateur Jamie Oliver commented, “Well done mate.” Miley Cyrus’ sister, Noah, also added a few hearts.
ED SHEERAN MISSES GRANDMOTHER’S FUNERAL DUE TO COURT PROCEEDINGS
The “Castle on the Hill” singer gave a passionate speech after the ruling in which he expressed gratitude to the jury but was also worried about what the lawsuit meant for future artists.
Ed Sheeran smiles outside the courthouse after winning a copyright fight in court. (Timothy A. Clary)
“I’m obviously very happy with the outcome of the case, and it looks like I’m not having to retire from my day job after all. But, at the same time, I’m unbelievably frustrated that baseless claims like this are allowed to go to court at all,” he said.
Sheeran was accused of using Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” to create “Thinking Out Loud.” Gaye’s song was co-written by late musician Ed Townsend, and Townsend’s heirs sued in 2017. The song was co-written by Amy Wadge, but she was not named in the suit.
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In closing arguments, Sheeran’s lawyer focused on how the arrangement of common chords in the song were also used by many artists. Attorneys also argued there were no similarities in melodies or pitch and that the songs were very different.
Townsend’s counsel, Ben Crump, argued that Sheeran’s celebrity status and connections could mislead people to ignore the truth. Crump also detailed how Townsend’s legal team prepared seven years for the case.
Sheeran is embarking on another tour and recently debuted a docuseries with Disney+. (Leon Neal)
When the father of two took the stand earlier this week, he said he found the lawsuit “frustrating” and “insulting” because he “works hard” to write his own music.
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Sheeran also slammed the plaintiff’s music expert, saying he gave a “horrible depiction” of “Thinking Out Loud.”
“I know he’s wrong because I wrote it myself,” Sheeran said of the song.
This isn’t Sheeran’s first time in the courtroom defending his music. He previously won a court fight in the U.K. in 2017 over his song “Shape of You.” The musician similarly criticized the lawsuit after that verdict.
