Ed Sheeran denies copying Marvin Gaye song at start of New York trial

Renowned British singer Ed Sheeran, who is currently on trial for allegedly stealing from the Marvin Gaye classic “Let’s Get It On”  for his own 2014 hit song, ‘Thinking out loud’ has denied the allegations leveled against him after appearing in court on Tuesday, April 25, 2023.

According to the ‘Perfect’ crooner, he would be “quite an idiot” to perform the two songs together publicly if the copyright infringement claims against him were true.

Ed Sheeran who doubles as a songwriter was asked to appear in court to testify in the trial by the heirs of Ed Townsend, Gaye’s co-writer on the 1973 soul classic. It would be recalled that the family had accused the music star of violating their copyright, emphasizing that his 2014 hit bore “striking similarities” and “overt common elements” to the famed Gaye track.

However, responding to video footage which was played in the courtroom showing the artiste segueing on stage between the two songs, Sheeran stated, ‘’ “I’d be an idiot to stand on a stage in front of 20,000 people and do that.’’

The trial, which started on Tuesday in Manhattan federal court, is being closely monitored by the music fraternity, which has seen judges and juries wrestle in recent years with how to draw the line between musical building blocks available to all and the complex combination of elements that go into a copyright-able song.