Ed Sheeran 'Thinking Out Loud' Copyright Case To Go To Trial - Noise11.com
Ed Sheeran photo by Ros O'Gorman

Ed Sheeran photo by Ros O'Gorman

Ed Sheeran ‘Thinking Out Loud’ Copyright Case To Go To Trial

by Music-News.com on October 1, 2022

in News

Ed Sheeran is set to face a jury in New York over a copyright infringement case about his 2014 song Thinking Out Loud.

Sheeran was sued by Structured Asset Sales, which owns a stake in the copyrights of songwriter Ed Townsend, in 2018 over a claim that he copied Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On, which Townsend co-wrote, with Thinking Out Loud.

Sheeran and his legal team tried to have the lawsuit dismissed by arguing that the elements he is accused of copying are “commonplace and unprotectable”. However, Judge Louis Stanton declined to do so on Thursday and ruled that the case should be decided by a jury at a Manhattan federal courthouse. A date was not set.

“There is no bright-line rule that the combination of two unprotectable elements is insufficiently numerous to constitute an original work,” the judge wrote about Sheeran’s argument for dismissal on Thursday, reports Billboard. “A work may be copyrightable even though it is entirely a compilation of unprotectable elements.”

An attorney for Structured Asset Sales, Hillel Parness, told Reuters the company was “pleased” with the decision, while Sheeran has yet to comment.

The news comes months after Sheeran went on trial in the U.K. accused of copying Sami Chokri’s 2015 song Oh Why with his 2017 single Shape of You.

After he won the case in April, he said on Instagram, “I hope with this ruling, it means in the future baseless claims like this can be avoided. This really does have to end… Hopefully, we can all get back to writing songs rather than having to prove that we can write them.”

Gaye’s music has been involved in copyright lawsuits before. His heirs successfully took Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams to trial over claims their song Blurred Lines infringed on Gaye’s Got to Give It Up in 2015. They are not involved in the current legal action.

However, Billboard reports that several of Townsend’s other heirs have filed a separate case against Sheeran over their stake.

music-news.com

Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here

Be the first to see NOISE.com’s newest interviews and special features on YOUTUBE and updated regularly. See things first SUBSCRIBE here: Noise11 on YouTube SUBSCRIBE

Noise11.com

Follow Noise11 on Social Media

Noise11 on Instagram

You’ll discover music news first following Noise11 on Twitter

Comment on the news of the day, join Noise11 on Facebook

Related Posts

Twenty One Pilots
Twenty One Pilots Announce World Tour And Premiere New Song

Twenty One Pilots will tour the world and have a new album ‘Clancy’ to go along with it.

20 hours ago
Beyonce Cowboy Carter
It Looks Like Beyoncé Has Covered Dolly Parton

Beyoncé has released a tracklisting for her upcoming album ‘Cowboy Carter'.

21 hours ago
PJ Morton Noise11
PJ Morton Was A Stevie Wonder fan and Now Stevie Is A Friend

Maroon 5 keyboard player PJ Morton is in Australia for his own shows and told Noise11 about his longtime friendship with Stevie Wonder.

2 days ago
Taylor Swift at the MCG Melbourne 16 February 2024 Photo Credit TAS Rights Management
Taylor Swift’s Father Will Not Be Charged By Australian Police

Australian police will not be pursuing charges against Taylor Swift's father Scott Swift over an alleged clash with a photographer in Sydney.

2 days ago
Marlon Williams media 2024
Marlon Williams Reactivated His Cancelled 2020 and 2021 ‘An Evening With Marlon Williams’ Tour

Marlon Williams will perform his first solo Australian shows in 10 years when ‘An Evening With Marlon Williams’ finally gets underway in June.

3 days ago
Cosmo Jarvis is Shogun Photo credit: Kurt Iswarienko/FX
Former Singer Songwriter Cosmo Jarvis Is The Star Of Shōgun

One time singer songwriter Cosmo Jarvis plays the starring role of John Blackthorne in the hit series ‘Shōgun’ currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

4 days ago
David Draiman Disturbed at Margaret Court Arena on Saturday 12 November 2016 photo by Ros O'Gorman
Lzzy Hale Joins Disturbed As The Ann Wilson Fill-in At Knotfest

Disturbed are touring Australia on Knotfest and while the Ann Wilson duet ‘Don’t Tell Me’ is in the setlist, Ann Wilson is not. In her place, Lzzy Hale of Halestorm stepped in at Knotfest Melbourne.

7 days ago