5th May 2023, Mumbai: A jury has declared that Ed Sheeran, the British singer, did not copy essential elements of Marvin Gaye’s iconic 1970s track “Let’s Get It On” to produce his hit song “Thinking Out Loud.” The verdict was announced on Thursday at the end of the trial, which led Sheeran to joke that he would not have to carry out his plan to quit music.
As soon as the jury of seven people announced their verdict following over two hours of deliberation in the lengthy copyright battle that lasted for most of the past decade, emotions ran high. Ed Sheeran, aged 32, breathed a sigh of relief and briefly covered his face with his hands before standing up to embrace his lawyer, Ilene Farkas. After the jurors exited the courtroom, Sheeran smiled and nodded his head in appreciation at a few of them while mouthing the words “thank you.” Later, he even posed for a photo in the hallway with one of the jurors who stayed back.
After the verdict, Ed Sheeran also approached Kathryn Townsend Griffin, the plaintiff who is the daughter of Ed Townsend, the co-creator of the 1973 soul classic with Gaye, and who had given testimony during the trial. The two of them spoke for around 10 minutes, hugging and smiling, and even clasping their hands together at one point.
After six days of trial and less than three hours of jury deliberations, the verdict was announced. In 2017, Kathryn Townsend Griffin and other heirs of Ed Townsend sued Ed Sheeran, claiming that his hit song Thinking Out Loud had infringed on the copyright of Marvin Gaye’s song Let’s Get It On. They argued that Sheeran had copied the “heart” of Gaye’s song, including its melody, harmony, and rhythm. Sheeran’s defence team, on the other hand, argued that the similarities between the two songs involved basic musical elements that could not be copyrighted.
The plaintiffs sought a portion of the profits from Thinking Out Loud, and they claimed in court documents that they had received 22% of the writer’s share of Gaye’s song from TownsendLater, outside the courthouse, Sheeran spoke to reporters and reiterated his previous statement made during the trial that he would consider giving up songwriting if he lost the case. However, he expressed his relief at the verdict, saying that he was glad he wouldn’t have to quit his day job after all. At the same time, he also expressed frustration at the fact that unfounded allegations like this could be brought to court. He read this statement, which he had prepared beforehand.
Ed Sheeran also mentioned that he had missed his grandmother’s funeral in Ireland because of the trial and expressed regret, saying that he would never be able to get that time back.Meanwhile, inside the courthouse after the verdict, Kathryn Townsend Griffin expressed her relief, saying that she was glad the trial was finally over and that she and Sheeran could be friends. She also said that she was pleased that Sheeran approached her and that it showed her who he really was. She further clarified that her copyright lawsuit was not personal and that she only wanted to keep her promise to her father to protect his intellectual property
Article By: Tanya Chantola .