Ed Sheeran, the British singer-songwriter, was found not guilty of copyright infringement of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" by a New York jury in a case that drew widespread attention.
Sheeran was relieved by the ruling, but he was also frustrated that frivolous lawsuits could be brought before a judge. He said it was upsetting to be accused of stealing someone else's tune and that he was merely a composer who enjoyed making music for others to listen to, not a piggybank, The Guardian reported.
The Grammy Award winner was contemplating leaving the music business if he was unsuccessful in court, saying that he finds it "insulting" to have his life's work degraded.
Ed Sheeran's lawyer, Ilene Farkas, said in Manhattan federal court that the same chord progressions and rhythms between "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye and "Thinking Out Loud" by Sheeran were "the letters in the alphabet of music" the most basic building blocks of music.
Ed Townsend's daughter Kathryn Townsend Griffin, his sister Helen McDonald, and the estate of his ex-wife Cherrigale Townsend filed the action on his behalf, asking for $100 million in damages. The family of Marvin Gaye was not involved in the case, according to Complex.
Read also: : 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Update
Jury Member Shares Key Factor on The Verdict
Sophia Neis, one of the 12 women on the jury, called the copyright infringement case involving Ed Sheeran "a very interesting" lawsuit and commended the attorneys on both sides, according to CNN. She elaborated on how the seven jurors had different interpretations of the law at first but finally came to the correct conclusion by following the judge's and the jury's directions.
Neis said that Ed Sheeran's live rendition of "Thinking Out Loud" during the trial had a significant role in the jury's choice.
Related Article : Snoop Dogg Supports Writers' Strike
