A jury in New York has ruled that British singer Ed Sheeran did not plagiarize Marvin Gaye’s classic 1970s song ‘Let’s Get It On’ in creating his hit song ‘Thinking Out Loud.’ Sheeran, who had joked that he would quit music if he lost the case, smiled and nodded his head at several of the jurors and mouthed “Thank you” as they left the courtroom. He later spoke with plaintiff Kathryn Townsend Griffin, the daughter of Ed Townsend, who co-created the song with Gaye, and hugged and clasped hands with her.
In a prepared statement, Sheeran said he was “obviously very happy with the outcome of this case,” but frustrated that “baseless claims like this are allowed to go to court at all.” He also expressed regret that he had missed his grandmother’s funeral in Ireland because of the trial. Inside the courthouse, Griffin said she was relieved that the trial was over, and that she was “glad” to put the matter behind her. She emphasized that her lawsuit was not personal, but that she wanted to fulfill a promise to her father to protect his intellectual property.
Sheeran had defended himself throughout the two-week trial, insisting that the lawsuit was a threat to all musicians who create their own music. He said that he didn’t want to be taken advantage of and would not allow himself to be a “piggy bank” for anyone looking to shake him down. This was not Sheeran’s first court victory; a year earlier, he won a UK copyright battle over his 2017 hit ‘Shape of You.’ In the wake of that victory, he criticized what he called a “culture” of baseless lawsuits that force artists to settle to avoid the expense of a trial.
SOURCE: Ref- By David Mouriquand & AP
Image: Google images
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