'Let's Get it On' - Ed Sheeran Faces Marvin Gaye Plagiarism Lawsuit
Justice will decide whether Ed Sheeran plagiarized Marvin Gaye's iconic "Let's Get it On" while creating his global success "Thinking Out Loud."
A request by Sheeran to dismiss a lawsuit that accused him of plagiarizing the 1973 song was rejected in Manhattan by District Judge Louis Stanton.
Stanton said he found "substantial similarities between several of the musical elements of the two plays," which includes the bass line and the percussion of both songs.
Along with the "similarities" between the two songs, Stanton also referred to Sheeran's performances as "a perfect transition between [the songs]" to support the reasoning of the lawsuit.
The lawsuit will now be presented to a jury that has the task of deciding whether the harmonic rhythm of "Let's Get it On" is too common to merit copyright protection or whether Sheeran, in turn, violated those copyrights.
The legal battle was started by the heirs of producer Ed Townsend , who co-wrote "Let's Get it On" with Marvin Gaye. Name the defendants as Sheeran, his co-writer Amy Wadge , Sony / ATV Music Publishing and Atlantic Records.
Sheeran's defense argues that Gaye's original was a "sexual anthem," while "Thinking Out Loud" was known for its "somber and melancholy tones, which address long-lasting romantic love."
It also faces a second lawsuit from Structured Asset Sales LLC, which holds a third of Townsend's assets. They also accuse the British star of plagiarizing "Let's Get It On" and are seeking 100 million dollars in damages.
Last month, Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke were ordered to pay $ 5 million after a judge ruled that their hit "Blurred Lines" directly infringed Gaye's "Got To Give It Up" copyright.
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