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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Seamus Duff

Ed Sheeran plagiarism trial so far - Thinking Out Loud vs Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On

Ed Sheeran is currently fighting to clear his name after being accused of plagiarising music for one of his hit singles.

The 32-year-old chart topping star, who has penned five studio albums, one compilation album, and sixty-five singles in his career so far, has taken the stand in the Manhattan Federal Court in New York City while defending himself.

The singer has been speaking in front of a jury and a judge who will decide if he has or has not taken uncredited inspiration from another musician and their work.

Here are the main details of the current court case that Ed Sheeran is fighting in the USA.

Ed Sheeran arrived at court on Tuesday to testify against accusations he plagiarised music form another star (Edna Leshowitz/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock)

What is Ed Sheeran being sued for?

Ed Sheeran is currently on trial accused of copyright infringement relating to his 2014 single Thinking Out Loud.

The court case has been brought by the estate of Marvin Gaye who claim Sheeran's song has “striking similarities” with the 1973 song Let’s Get It On.

While it is the heirs of the late Ed Townsend, who co-wrote the song with Gaye, that are suing Sheeran on the claim that he plagiarised Let’s Get It On.

The heirs are seeking a share of the profits from Sheeran’s song - while a judge and jury will decide the outcome at the end of the trial.

Marvin Gaye performed the 1973 song Let’s Get It On - which was co-written by Ed Townsend (Getty Images)

What is the evidence against Sheeran?

A lawyer has claimed to have "smoking gun" proof that Sheeran violated the copyright of Gaye and Townsend’s hit song Let's Get It On.

Attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the Townsend heirs, gave his opening statement on Tuesday and said Sheeran merged the two songs in concert - which he said was equivalent to a "confession".

Crump also said that the legal battle is all about "giving credit where credit is due".

What has Sheeran’s team argued?

Sheeran is represented by a lawyer called Ilene Farkas - with the musician and his team insisting that he did not steal the music for his 2014 single.

Farkas insisted in court that Sheeran and co-writer Amy Wadge wrote their song independently and did not steal from Townsend and Gaye.

She said they "created this heartfelt song without copying Let’s Get It On" - and also claimed that the chord progression and basic music building blocks in Thinking Out Loud are used frequently.

Ed performed his 2014 song for the benefit of the judge and jury (AFP via Getty Images)

What has Sheeran said - and performed - while on the stand?

Sheeran took to the stand as a witness on Thursday where he discussed his music making process - and even pulled out his guitar to give a demonstration.

The British singer told the court that his song was about everlasting love, and that he wrote it shortly after he began a new romantic relationship and after his grandfather died.

He told the jury that writing music is second nature to him, but confessed: “I'm not the world's most talented guitar player."

He claimed he can write as many as nine songs in one day and then played some bars of Thinking Out Loud as he tried to convince the jury how he came up with the music.

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