Ed Sheeran is peddling back and forth to court amid the trial over alleged copyright infringement on his 2014 single “Thinking Out Loud,” and the entire ordeal is making him reconsider his entire career choice.
The lawsuit was brought on by Structured Asset Sales — who, in 2018, purchased a third of the shares of the song from the family of Ed Townsend.
Townsend co-wrote “Let’s Get It On” with Marvin Gaye. The lawsuit claims Sheeran’s song features elements directly from the 1973 hit.
During the hearing, Sheeran, 32, was questioned by his lawyer Ilene Farkas, who asked him what he would do if the court found “Thinking Out Loud” too similar to “Let’s Get It On.”
“If that happens, I’m done; I’m stopping,” Sheeran said.
“I find it to be really insulting,” he added. “I work really hard to be where I’m at.”
Amy Wage, Sheeran’s co-writer for “Thinking Out Loud,” also testified that the song’s tune sounded more like Van Morrison’s “Have I Told You Lately” and reflected on how she felt about being accused of copying “Let’s Get It On.”
“It was pretty devastating and pretty frightening because it’s something we did not do,” said Wage.
This is not the first time Sheeran has been accused of ripping off the song. In 2016, the heirs of the late songwriter Ed Townsend filed a lawsuit against the British star, but according to reports, it was dismissed without prejudice the following year. Now, Structured Asset Sales have revisited the legal issue upon its purchase.
