Ed Sheeran copyright claim for Grammy-winning hit rejected by Supreme Court
Pop singer and award-winning songwriter Ed Sheeran found himself caught up in a 'devastating' lawsuit yet again, as he was accused of stealing from a classic 1970s hit
Ed Sheeran is a hitmaker above all else, with countless number one songs and writing credits for the likes of Rihanna and One Direction, but his most recent success comes from a song he first released all the way back in 2014.
One of the pop star's biggest songs, Thinking Out Loud, came under fire for allegedly using the copyright melody from Marvin Gaye 's Let's Get It On. This case was brought forward by Structured Asset Sales (SAS), which owns a portion of the rights to the song.
Owner and investment banker David Pullman argued that the melody, harmony and rhythm were all copied by Sheeran. However, on July 16, the Supreme Court decided not to hear the case, keeping in place the lower court's decision that the singer was not liable in the copyright infringement lawsuit.
READ MORE: Ed Sheeran's bitter family rift as star faces backlash for 'identifying culturally' as Irish
It's not the first time the star celebrates such a victory, as this news follows his previous success in fighting a copyright lawsuit over the same song, but this time by the family of Ed Townsend, who co-wrote the 70s song.
The family's accusations resulted in them seeking an eye-watering $100m (£73m) in damages from the star. Sheeran was angered by this and put his decision to fight the case down to the simple fact that he would not act as a "piggy bank" for "anyone to shake".
Thinking Out Loud is still one of the singer's biggest songs to date after spending more than two years in the UK charts. Not to mention, it racked up an impressive 4.8 million sales in the UK alone and went on to take home the Song of the Year award at the 2016 Grammys.
In 2023, this case was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Louis Stanton, who decided that the elements the 34-year-old was accused of stealing are far too common. Following the verdict at the time, Sheeran spoke outside of the courthouse and shared his disappointment in being questioned on his song-writing capabilities.
He said: "It's devastating to be accused of stealing someone else's song when we've put so much work into our livelihoods."
Speaking on the matter this week was his co-writer, Amy Wadge. In an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme, she shared that these copyright trials have "haunted" her for the last decade. Wadge further explained: "The absolute truth is that song changed my life. I didn't have a hit until I was 37, and that was the one.
"I was able to feel like I'd had a hit for a year, and then all of a sudden it felt like the wolves were surrounding me. It was incredibly frightening." She went on to say that the case's dismissal was a "huge relief" for the both of them.
Following on from the stress of the initial 2023 trial, both Wadge and Sheeran commemorated the event, commenting on how the pop star does best with a tattoo. The pair decided to get matching tattoos using a phrase one of the judges said in the trial: "independently created".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leader Live
2 hours ago
- Leader Live
Kate Nash says she would love to collaborate with Kneecap
It came after police said on Saturday that they are assessing videos of comments made by the Belfast rap trio, as well as punk duo Bob Vylan, during their performances at the Glastonbury Festival. The group are known for their provocative lyrics and merchandise, as well as their championing of the Irish language and support for Palestine. 'I love Kneecap. I'd love to collaborate. I love collaboration, actually,' Nash told the PA news agency. 'I really, really think collaboration is such an amazing and important part of being an artist, because you just learn every time you collaborate with someone different. 'So I just did a duet with Sprints, because they covered Foundations, and that was really fun.' Nash, 37, added: 'Kneecap would be amazing to collaborate with. My mum's from Dublin and I think that the way they use their political platform is really important.' She continued: 'I don't think English people really understand their (Ireland's) history at all, they just don't know it. 'So I think there's an opportunity to educate people about England and Ireland's history, and sort of being half-English, half-Irish myself I have quite a good understanding of that, but I didn't learn it at school. 'There's so many amazing musicians to collaborate with. I love Amyl And The Sniffers.' Before their performance on the West Holts Stage, several politicians called for Kneecap to be removed from the line-up and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said their performance would not be 'appropriate'. During their set, member Naoise O Caireallain said: 'The Prime Minister of your country, not mine, said he didn't want us to play, so f*** Keir Starmer.' In reference to his bandmate's upcoming court date the rapper, who performs under the name Moglai Bap, said they would 'start a riot outside the courts', before clarifying: 'No riots, just love and support, and support for Palestine.' Bobby Vylan, of rap duo Bob Vylan, had earlier led crowds in chants of 'Free, free Palestine' and 'Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)'. According to reports, Bobby Vylan is called Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34, from Ipswich. Robinson-Foster is listed on Companies House as being the director of Ghost Theatre Records, which is operated by Bob Vylan. Sir Keir said the latter chant was 'appalling hate speech' and urged the BBC to explain how the scenes were broadcast. Speaking on the politics of Glastonbury, Nash said: 'What's the history of Glastonbury? It's about anti-corporation, Greenpeace. 'It is ultimately a political festival, and people come here to find togetherness, community, a sense of hope and to watch people play amazing shows, and to have their lives changed, to be inspired. 'I think that we're seeing a lot of really scary things in the world right now, and people want to feel like they can see what they feel on stage being voiced, and I think that politicians need to get a grip.' Asked about artists who say they do not want to be political, she said: 'Certain people, you can't escape the politics of existing in the world. 'If you are a woman and you're like, 'I'm not political', I'm like, 'You are, you are. Everything about your life is political, whether you want it to be or not'. 'I think if you're a very privileged, white, rich man, sure you don't want to be political, or you don't have to be. 'But also, do you even have to comment that you don't want to be? I'm not really sure it helps. 'I think just don't be, then, in a way, if you just want to be a pop band, just be a pop band. 'That's not how I was raised. So it's really difficult for me to understand somebody saying, 'I don't want to be political'.' It came after The 1975 frontman Matty Healy said the band did not want their legacy to be 'one of politics' during their Friday night headline slot. 'I think we don't need more politics, we need more love and friendship,' he said. Nash headlined Glastonbury's Left Field stage on Saturday evening and performed a secret set on the BBC Introducing stage on Sunday. She has released several studio albums and is known for songs including Mouthwash and Foundations, the latter of which peaked at number two in the UK singles chart.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Harry Styles 'passionately snogs mystery woman at Glastonbury Festival as sparks fly in the VIP section'
Harry Styles has reportedly been spotted passionately snogging a mystery woman at Glastonbury Festival. The former One Direction star, 31, descended on Worthy Farm on Saturday with pals as he settled in for a day of celebrating music. But as he partied into the early hours of the morning, Harry was seen getting very close to an unknown woman in the VIP area. In a video seen by The Sun, Harry was seen sharing an intimate kiss with the woman on the dance floor, with an onlooker claiming the pair were 'inseparable'. Harry reportedly arrived at the VIP section with a group of pals before the woman arrived and kissed him on the cheek multiple times before he lead her to the dance floor where they shared a passionate and very public kiss. The source said: 'Harry only had eyes for this woman and sparks were flying as soon as they were together.' 'Just short of an hour after they arrived, they kissed in front of loads of other people and didn't seem to care who was watching,' they added. 'They both looked like they were having a brilliant time and appeared to have known each other for a while, as they were very familiar.' Harry's last public smooch was with supermodel Emily Ratajkowski after the pair were spotted snogging in Tokyo. The pair were seen dancing with each other as they stood alongside a silver people carrier while sheltering from the rain under an umbrella. They shared a number of passionate kisses on the street outside, appearing to not care who saw them while in full view of onlookers. But last year, the singer was spotted with actress Taylor Russell for the first time - three months after they were believed to have started their romance. The couple called it quits in May 2024, with friends claiming the couple opted to end the relationship after spending time together in the far east. Harry was previously linked with a string of A-list women. from Taylor Swift, to Kendall Jenner, the French model Camille Rowe, Olivia Wilde and, most recently, Russell. They were seen as they exited a museum in London, and at one point, also reportedly held hands, per TMZ. His appearance at Glasto comes after he enjoyed a music festival in London's Victoria Park with pals earlier this month as his hiatus from the public eye continues. Harry was pictured in the crowd at LIDO festival, the first to run on 100% renewable energy from wind and solar. Harry was front and centre to watch DJ Jamie xx as he headlined the battery-powered stage. Keeping a low-profile, the Watermelon Sugar singer sported a casual look in the midst of the rainy weather. Harry wore a navy hoodie underneath a blue jacket, with a purple cap on his head as he appeared to be in good spirits. As the night progressed Harry took over his hoodie, revealing a grey t-shirt underneath which featured a giant emoji smiley face. He could also be seen enjoying the festival with Patience Harding, who worked on the design for his third studio album Harry's House. Harry - who has an estimated net worth of $140 million - has kept a low-profile throughout 2025 as he enjoys time out of the spotlight since wrapping his Love On Tour tour in 2023. In April, Harry sent fans into a frenzy when he was spotted in the Vatican, Rome to witness the first American named pope in the wake of a two-day papal conclave. He was the subject of a number of social media posts from fans excited to see him on the historic day. The Satellite entertainer blended into the crowd seamlessly like a man of the people on the weekday.
Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Harry Styles seen at Glastonbury sharing passionate kiss with a mystery woman
Harry Styles is pictured arriving at Glastonbury Festival (Image: ReachPLC) Pop megastar Harry Styles was seen enjoying a passionate kiss with a mystery woman in the VIP area at Glastonbury. The pair danced in the early hours at the festival before they shared the 12-second smooch. A source said: "Harry only had eyes for this woman and sparks were flying as soon as they were together." The former One Direction star, 31, arrived separately from his secret squeeze and was reportedly spotted at around 1.45am on Sunday with pals, including music producer Kid Harpoon. The woman made her entrance shortly afterwards and was spotted kissing Harry after their dance. The source added: "Harry turned up with a few of his mates but as soon as she got there, they were almost inseparable. Just short of an hour after they arrived, they kissed in front of loads of other people and didn't seem to care who was watching." READ MORE: Glastonbury fans fume one act 'on wrong stage' as they urge Olivia Rodrigo to be replaced The pop superstar partied with pals at the festival (Image: Mirror) The pair "appeared to have known each other for a while," the onlooker told The Sun. Harry, who since leaving One Direction has had two UK number ones as a solo artist, split with Canadian actress Taylor Russell in May. The reveller at Glastonbury is the first woman Harry has been linked to since the split. Harry and Taylor called things off after a "make or break" trip to Japan. Speaking at the time, an insider said: "They went through a rough patch after their trip to Japan and are taking some time apart. He's been in America and she's been in London. They made a lovely couple and it was obvious Taylor made Harry happy. Things have become strained recently though and they've taken some time out." But the Glasto sources believed Harry and the woman had known each other for sometime, from looking at their body language on Sunday. They continued: "They both looked like they were having a brilliant time and appeared to have known each other for a while, as they were very familiar." Photographs show the tender embrace, which happened in the VIP area at the music festival. Harry had arrived at Worthy Farm in Somerset on Friday and spent his first night there partying with mates until around 6am, The Sun understands. It is believed the singer, who has never performed at Glastonbury, was present to enjoy some of the artists on Sunday, a lineup which included music legend Rod Stewart. It was some 23 years after his last appearance at the festival. But, despite becoming one of music biggest names — first as part of One Direction, then as a solo star — Harry has never performed at Glastonbury.
