Ed Sheeran was hit with a copyright suit in 2016 by Ed Townsend’s family, who co-wrote Marvin Gaye’s classic Let’s Get It On, accusing the star of ‘stealing’ musical elements of it for his song Thinking Out Loud.
And now TMZ has claimed that Ed is reportedly being sued $100 Million for the same copyright infringement by another party.
According to the publication, a company called Structured Asset Sales, who bought one third of the copyright after Ed Townsend’s death in 2003, has filed a lawsuit claiming Thinking Out Loud is a ‘carbon copy’ of Let’s Get It On.
‘Sued’: TMZ has claimed that Ed Sheeran is reportedly being sued $100 Million for ‘stealing’ musical elements of Marvin Gaye’s classic Let’s Get It On for his song Thinking Out Loud
They have reportedly claimed that the mega-hit uses the same melody, rhythms, harmonies, drums, bassline, backing chorus, tempo, syncopation and looping as Marvin Gaye’s 1973 classic.
MailOnline has contacted Ed’s representative for comment.
Thinking Out Loud has turned into a wedding favourite with more than a billion plays on YouTube and the first song to hit 500 million streams on Spotify. It is a hit track on his album X, which has sold more than 15 million copies.
‘Carbon copy’: According to the publication, a company called Structured Asset Sales, who bought one third of the copyright after co-writer Ed Townsend’s death in 2003, has filed a lawsuit claiming it is a ‘carbon copy’ (Marvin pictured in 1980)
Hit song: Thinking Out Loud has turned into a wedding favourite with more than a billion plays on YouTube and the first song to hit 500 million streams on Spotify
This is the fifth time Ed has been accused of copying songs from other artists.
Last year, Real Housewives Of Atlanta star Kandi Burruss was given a writing credit on Sheeran’s Shape of You, when the US copyright website ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) amended its listing for the chart topping song after countless listeners pointed out the similarities between it and TLC’s 1999 hit No Scrubs.
The family of Ed Townsend – who wrote Let’s Get It On – previously accused the singer of ripping off the Marvin Gaye hit when he wrote Thinking Out Loud.
Fifth time: This is the fifth time Ed has been accused of copying songs from other artists (pictured at Glastonbury Festival in 2017)
In 2016 Martin Harrington and Thomas Leonard – who wrote X Factor star Matt Cardle’s 2012 song Amazing – made a similar claim, suing him for $20million over Sheeran’s song, Photograph.
While more recently Ed, who recorded and co-wrote The Rest Of Our Life with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, was reportedly sued for $5 million for their hit.
Australians Sean Carey and Beau Golden alleged that the song is ‘blatantly copied’ from one they wrote in 2014 called When I Found You.
Just earlier this year, Marvin Gaye’s family were awarded $5.3 million after a split decision from a three-judge panel, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, who said Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams’ 2013 Blurred Lines song is illegally copied from the late soul singer’s Got to Give it Up.
Just earlier this year, Marvin Gaye’s family were awarded $5.3 million after a split decision from a three-judge panel, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, who said Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams’ 2013 Blurred Lines song is illegally copied from the late singer’s Got to Give it Up (Robin pictured performing the hit with Miley Cyrus in 2013)
Court case: Pharrell Williams and his wife Helen Lasichanh pictured outside the Roybal Federal Building in Los Angeles, California, in March