Following a lengthy copyright battle, a Manhattan federal jury ruled Thursday that singer Ed Sheeran did not steal key components of Marvin Gaye‘s 1970s hit, “Let’s Get It On.”
The jury deliberated for a mere two and a half hours before ruling that Sheeran’s Grammy-winning hit “Thinking Out Loud” did not infringe on the copyright of Gaye’s Motown classic. This outcome marks a resounding win for the British singer-songwriter, who has been embroiled in the legal battle for some time.
The family of the song’s late co-writer, Ed Townsend, had sued Sheeran in 2017, accusing him of stealing the rhythm, chord progression and other elements for his 2014 song without permission.
Sheeran’s legal team argued in his defense that his song is an original creation and followed a chord progression commonly used in pop music.
