Ed Sheeran is currently undergoing a copyright trial in New York due to accusations that his hit track Thinking Out Loud, released in 2014, was stolen from Marvin Gaye’s 1973 hit Let’s Get It On. Sheeran denies these allegations, and has stated that he has received encouragement from other singers who share his worries about litigation resulting from their own songwriting. The trial began last week and is expected to last two weeks. Sheeran has offered a spirited defense of his work thus far and has even performed live in the Manhattan courtroom. The trial stem from a lawsuit filed by Ed Townsend’s daughter, Kathryn Townsend Griffin, several years ago seeking unspecified damages. Despite winning a previous High Court copyright trial last year, Sheeran remains frustrated with these types of claims, stating that they are damaging to the songwriting industry.
