Ed Sheeran discusses copyright trial in new TV interview: “I have not done something wrong”
Ed Sheeran has reflected on his recent high-profile plagiarism trial in a new TV interview.
The pop star was found to have not copied Marvin Gaye‘s ‘Let’s Get It On’ for his 2014 Number One hit ‘Thinking Out Loud’, a US court ruled on Thursday (May 4).
The case was brought against the pop star in 2016 by Ed Townsend – one of the co-writers on Gaye’s classic 1973 track – who accused Sheeran of copying the song on his 2014 hit.
Earlier today (May 7), the singer appeared on CBS Sunday Morning to discuss his new album ‘–’ and the case.
Of the controversy around the case, and why he felt it necessary to pursue victory on behalf of all songwriters, and to set a future precedent, Sheeran said: “There’s like four chords that get used in pop songs. And if you just think mathematically the likelihood of this song having the same chords as this song—there’s multiple, multiple songs—it’s all the same four chords … you are going to get this with every single pop song from now on.
“Unless it just stops, which I don’t think it does because it’s a big money business to take things to court. But you can only get caught out if you’ve done something wrong, and I have not done something wrong. I used four chords that are very common chords to use.”
Earlier this week, Sheeran reportedly took to the stand in Manhattan to insist he would be “done” with music if found guilty.
The singer-songwriter has now been found not liable for copyright infringement, with jurors ruling that he “independently” created the song. Sheeran hugged his lawyer after the verdict, while Wadge and his wife Cheery Seaborn were reportedly in tears (via The Guardian).
Sheeran told reporters outside the court: “I am obviously very happy with the outcome of the case and it looks like I am not having to retire from my day job after all. But at the same time I’m unbelievably frustrated that baseless claims like this are allowed to go to court at all.”
He also said it was “devastating” to be accused of stealing someone else’s song, describing himself as “just a guy with a guitar who loves writing music for people to enjoy” who will never allow himself to be “a piggybank for anyone to shake”.
This week also saw the premiere of Sheeran’s new documentary Ed Sheeran: The Sum Of It All, and the release of his new album ‘–’.
