Ed Sheeran may have a prolific singing career, but he was close to quitting amid his most recent plagiarism lawsuit. Last week, the British musician took the stand in a lawsuit accusing him of copying parts of Marvin Gaye’s song “Let’s Get It On” for his own 2014 hit “Thinking Out Loud.”
Ed had a very blunt response on the stand when asked by the opposition’s lawyer what he would do if he were to lose the case. “If that happens, I’m done, I’m stopping,” Ed said in front of the jury, adding that the allegations made in the lawsuit are “really insulting.”
“I work really hard to be where I’m at,” Ed added.
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Luckily, fans won’t have to go without new Ed Sheeran music, as the jury eventually ruled in his favor. Ed publicly responded to the trial’s outcome, saying that it sets a precedence for future cases. He also assured fans that he won’t be quitting the music business anytime soon.
“[This decision] will help to protect the creative process of songwriters here in the United States and around the world,” the singer shared. Ed added, “[I’m not] going to have to retire from my day job after all.”
“But, at the same time, I am unbelievably frustrated that baseless claims like this are allowed to go to court at all,” he continued. “We have spent the last eight years talking about two songs with dramatically different lyrics, melodies and four chords which are also different and used by songwriters every day, all over the world.”
He concluded, “It is devastating to be accused of stealing other people’s songs when we have put so much work into our livelihoods.”
A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos)
Though it’s now come to an end, the plagiarism lawsuit was ongoing for years. It was originally filed in 2017 again Ed and his co-writer, Amy Badge, by Marvin Gaye’s heirs as well as his co-writer Ed Townsend.
The case alleged that the 2014 hit plagiarised the famous four-chord sequence in Marvin’s hit, whereas Ed claimed it was merely a coincidence.
It was unclear how much the plaintiffs were hoping to win in damages, if their plagiarism claims had been found valid. But similar cases have resulted in million-dollar payouts, so Ed could’ve been on the hook for a lot had the jury not sided with him.
Sources: Global News, PEOPLE, The Star,
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