Ed Sheeran is heading to court over allegations he lifted parts of Marvin Gaye’s classic “Let’s Get It On” for his own song “Thinking Out Loud”.
According to Reuters, a U.S. judge has rejected Sheeran’s request to dismiss the lawsuit brought against him by the estate and heirs of Ed Townsend, who co-wrote “Let’s Get It On” with Gaye.
Judge Louis Stanton said he found “substantial similarities between several of the two works’ musical elements,” including their bass lines and percussion.” Judge Stanton also pointed to performance footage of Sheeran “seamlessly transitioning between [the songs]” as further reason for why the originality of “Thinking Out Loud” is in question.
The case will now go before a jury who must decide whether the harmonic rhythm of “Let’s Get It On” is too common to deserve copyright protection and, if not, whether Sheeran violated its copyright.
– Excerpt from an article written by Alex Young for Consequence of Sound. Find the full article here.
—————————————————————————————————————————–
Disclaimer: Please note that the information contained within this news post and site is offered simply as a consideration to visitors who are in the entertainment industry and are seeking to learn more about various areas of entertainment, be it in film, movies, television, music, digital, new media, film financing, merchandising and/or branding. As such, the information so provided should never be construed as legal advice. If you need further assistance or legal advice for your specific matter, please do not hesitate in contacting an entertainment attorney (film, music, digital, licensing, financing) here in Los Angeles, California at The Hollywood Lawyer by(1) emailing us at info@hollywoodlawyer.com; (2) calling us at (323) 300-4184; or (3) filling out our online form.
