Did Ed Sheeran plagiarize Marvin Gaye after all?

Process started in 2016 that should start trial only this Monday, April 24, 2023, states how Ed Sheeran plagiarized Marvin Gaye in the hit “Thinking Out Loud.” The heirs of Ed Townsendresponsible for co-writing “Let’s Get It On” with Gayefiled a lawsuit.

In response to the plagiarism charge, lawyers for Sheeran stated how both songs are based on a common chord progression. As The New York Times reported, the process points to similarities in musical composition, such as melodies, chords and lyrics. Compare “Thinking Out Loud” with “Let’s Get It On” below:

In 2017, Kathryn Townsend Griffin It is Helen McDonalddaughter and sister of Ed Townsend, respectively, opened the process, which would suffer several delays. In 2019, Louis L Stanton, the judge responsible for overseeing the case, suspended the trial pending an appeal in another case. After this resolution, in March 2020, the Covid-19 forced yet another delay.

The pointed similarity is based on a sequence of four chords in an ascending pattern. A musicologist hired by the relatives of townsend acknowledged the difference in an analysis submitted to the court, but called the two chords “virtually interchangeable.”

Second The New York Times, case resolution may depend on how distinct that chord progression is. the defense of Ed Sheeran argues how chords are generic building blocks and fair game for any musician.

Already in the court records, the musicologist of Sheeran explains how there are over a dozen songs such as “Georgy Girl” It is “Hurdy Gurdy Man,” which used the same basic sequence before “Let’s Get It On.”

Kathryn Townsend Griffin It is Helen McDonald responded how, even though the chords are in the public domain, the specific way they were used in “Let’s Get It On” is original enough – and should be copyrighted. The family of Ed Townsend explained how he protects the artist’s work against a song that has stolen his musical “heart”.