Ed Sheeran has said he is getting encouragement during his copyright trial from other performers who also worry that they will be sued as he battles claims that he stole material from Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On to make a new tune a decade ago.
The British singer offered a spirited defence and a lot of singing during a second day in the witness box after he was called by his lawyer to answer questions at a trial at which he is accused of infringing the copyrights of the 1973 soul classic Gaye created with fellow songwriter Ed Townsend. Sheeran said he has heard from other singers since the trial began last week because they share his worries about litigation resulting from their songwriting.
He did not identify any of them, but said they are cheering him on – grateful that he is standing up against what all songwriters view as a threat to their work. “When you write songs, somebody comes after you,” Sheeran said. The trial, now in its second week, stems from a lawsuit filed by Townsend’s heirs several years ago. They seek unspecified damages.
