Ed Sheeran wins copyright lawsuit over Marvin Gaye song

The singer had promised to quit the music industry if he lost the case

The singer-songwriter had been in court to defend himself over accusations that his song 'Thinking Out Loud' copied harmonic progressions, melodic and rhythmic elements from Marvin Gaye's “Let’s Get It On” without permission.

The case had been brought by the heirs of Ed Townsend, the songwriter who composed the 1973 anthem with Gaye.

After three hours of jury deliberations, the verdict was read out in court, with Sheeran reportedly hugging his attorneys.

He later addressed fans, saying: “It looks like I’m not going to have to give up my day job after all.”

Days earlier, Sheeran had vowed to quit music if the jury decided in the plaintiff’s favour.

A statement released following the ruling read:

“There was a lot of talk throughout this case about cost. But there is more than just a financial costt.

“There is a cost on creativity. When we are tangled up in lawsuits, we are not making music or playing shows.”

The statement continued: “There is a cost on our mental health. The stress this causes on all sides is immense. It affects so many aspects of our everyday lives and the lives of our families and friends. We are not corporations. We are not entities. We are human beings. We are songwriters. We do not want to diminish the hurt and pain anyone has suffered through this, and at the same time, we feel it is important to acknowledge that we too have had our own hurts and life struggles throughout the course of this process.”

Sheeran was reportedly “so upset” he missed his grandmother’s funeral in Ireland on Wednesday due to the copyright case.

The singer’s dad, John, told the service for Anne ‘Nancy’ Sheeran that Ed could not attend because he had to “defend his integrity”.

Nancy, 98, inspired one of Ed’s most personal songs, Nancy Mulligan, which features on his third album, Divide. The song tells the story of how she married the singer’s grandfather William, a Protestant dentist.

MailOnline reported that Ed’s dad delivered the eulogy and said: “I am very sad that our son Edward is unable to be here today. He’s so upset that he cannot be present – he has to be thousands of miles away in a court in America defending his integrity.

“I know he is comforted by the fact that he was able to spend some precious time alone with his grandma just a month ago.”

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