Ed Sheeran has been cleared of copyright infringement in a lawsuit alleging his song “Thinking Out Loud” copied elements of a Marvin Gaye song. The lawsuit was brought by the estate of Ed Townsend, who co-wrote Gaye’s classic “Let’s Get It On” in 1973.
The lawsuit claimed Sheeran’s 2014 hit shared musical elements with Gaye’s song, including similar bass lines and rhythmic compositions.
However, a jury in the US District Court for the Central District of California found in favor of Sheeran on Wednesday, ruling that the two songs were not substantially similar.
The jury also found that the Gaye song was not a “composite work”, meaning it did not contain elements of other songs that Sheeran could have copied.
The verdict marks the end of a closely watched case that had pitted the estate of one of the most iconic singers of the 1970s against one of the biggest singers of the 2010s.
The case had been closely watched by the music industry, as the outcome could have set a precedent for future copyright cases.
