‘Let’s Get It On’ in court over Ed Sheeran and Marvin Gaye copyright dispute
Kaelan Deese
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Ed Sheeran will appear in court as a trial in New York begins over the singer’s alleged misuse of Marvin Gaye‘s “Let’s Get It On.”
Sheeran, the 32-year-old British singer, was sued by the heirs of Ed Townsend, Gaye’s co-writer of the 1973 soul hit that is still considered one of his greatest hits alongside “How Sweet It Is” and “What’s Going On.”
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The heirs of Townsend claim Sheeran’s 2014 hit “Thinking Out Loud” posits “striking similarities” to “Let’s Get In On” and “overt common elements” that infringe on the track’s copyright.
Sheeran’s counsel argues the structural symmetry of the song’s medley simply reflects the core foundations of pop music.
“The two songs share versions of a similar and unprotectable chord progression that was freely available to all songwriters,” they said in a court filing.
Sheeran is expected to testify in the case, which may last for around one week.
The jury will be instructed to pay attention only to factors such as melody, harmony, and rhythm, rather than other factors such as lyrics, when considering the similarities between the two songs.
Sheeran himself has performed shows in which he transitions into “Let’s Get It On” during live performances of “Thinking Out Loud.”
Gaye’s estate is not involved in this lawsuit, which names Sheeran’s label Atlantic Records and Sony/ATV Music Publishing as defendants.
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Sheeran won a similar copyright dispute in April last year after he was accused of stealing from Sami Chokri’s 2015 track “Oh Why” and applying it to his hit song “Shape of You.” The British songwriter bashed what he called a “culture” of baseless lawsuits intended to siphon dollars from artists to avoid expensive trials.
The lawsuit to be considered this week was filed in 2017 and will be heard by 95-year-old Judge Louis L. Stanton.