Singer Ed Sheeran to undergo trial over Marvin Gaye's copyright claim

It seems that trouble for the British singer Ed Sheeran is far from over, as he has to face a new trial for a copyright claim for a song by American singer-songwriter Marvin Gaye. Ed Sheeran recently came out of a plagiarism case for his hit song "Shape of You", but now a new copyright case has been tossed over for the song "Thinking Out Loud".

What is the latest copyright case against Ed Sheeran?

The prominent singer and writer Ed Sheeran is accused of lifting some of the elements of the 1973 track 'Let's Get It On' for his song Thinking Out Loud. Earlier, the lawyers for Sheeran had appealed to throw the case out of court as the alleged stolen elements of the 1973 song by Marvin Gaye were completely ordinary and not valid to be challenged.

However, as per the latest ruling by Judge Louis Stanton, there is no bright-line rule for such a case, and a work may be subjected to copyright even though the compilation came from unprotectable elements.

What damages does the lawsuit seek for the copyright?

The lawsuit has been filed by an entity named Structured Asset Sales, which has a partial stake in the song. The lawsuit seeks USD 100m in damages, alleging that Ed Sheeran had lifted the harmonic rhythm and a chord progression from Marvin Gaye's track.

FAQs.

1. Where will the trial take place?
   The trial will take place in a federal courthouse in Manhattan.
2. What was the plagiarism case regarding the Shape of You song?
   Ed Sheeran was accused of lifting parts of Sami Chokri's single "Oh Why."