By Jennyfer J. Walker
Ed Sheeran is being sued over claims that Thinking Out Loud, from his 2014 album X, rips off legendary Marvin Gaye track Let’s Get It On.
Damages are being sought by the family of Ed Townsend, who wrote the song, released in 1973, with court papers claiming: “The Defendants copied the heart of Let's and repeated it continuously throughout Thinking… The melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic compositions of Thinking are substantially and/or strikingly similar to the drum composition of Let's.”
While there’s been no response from Sheeran, or his record label Asylum Records UK, this isn’t the first time he’s been sued due to his music sounding similar to another artist’s.
In June, it came out that two musicians, Martin Harrington and Thomas Leonard were suing him for $20m (£13.8m) over his single Photograph. They claim the ballad has the same chord structures in the chorus as their track Amazing, released by X Factor winner Matt Cardle in 2012.
The Marvin Gaye family’s lawyer, Richard Busch, is also representing the claimants in that case.
