
A jury dominated Thursday that British pop star Ed Sheeran isn’t liable in a copyright infringement lawsuit alleging he used components of the melody of Marvin Gaye’s soul traditional “Let’s Get It On” in his hit music “Pondering Out Loud.” to have taken over.
The jury reached the unanimous verdict required within the case after the second day of deliberations.
The trial started April 25 in a Manhattan federal courtroom and noticed the 32-year-old singer take the witness stand, choose up his guitar, and sing to the jury.
The case stemmed from a lawsuit first filed in 2017 by the heirs of Ed Townsend, co-author of Marvin Gaye. It’s claimed that Sheeran’s 2014 hit “Pondering Out Loud” shares “hanging similarities” and “apparent frequent components” with Gaye’s 1973 document “Let’s Get It On,” which is copyrighted.
Sheeran stated he invented his music, which he co-wrote with Amy Wadge, after the dying of a grandfather. The music is about discovering love in outdated age, he stated in court docket.
At trial, Sheeran was requested a couple of stay mashup of the 2 songs in query, which have been captured in a video clip from a Zurich live performance. One in every of Townsend’s attorneys, Ben Crump, known as the clip a “smoking gun” and proof he was infringing on copyrights.
Sheeran argued he made mashups together with his different songs, saying, “If I did what you’re accusing me of doing, I’d be a jerk standing in entrance of individuals.”
Townsend’s daughter, Kathryn Townsend Griffin, additionally took the stand and stated she had by no means heard of the British singer earlier than Pondering Out Loud. She stated she doesn’t need the case to go to court docket, “however I’ve to guard my father’s legacy.”
That is an evolving story. Please return for updates.