Jury Rules That Ed Sheeran Did Not Copy Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On”

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.