A high-profile copyright trial over whether Ed Sheeran’s smash single “Thinking Out Loud” copied a classic Marvin Gaye song officially kicked off in a Manhattan federal courtroom on Tuesday. Ben Crump, a lawyer representing the family of the co-writer for Gaye’s 1973 hit “Let’s Get It On,” said in his opening statement that Sheeran played his ballad and Gaye’s song back-to-back in a medley during a concert, and called the moment a “smoking gun.
4 million in 2015 for borrowing from Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up” for their hit “Blurred Lines,” though the case turned into a five-year legal battle that ultimately saw the judgment reduced to $5.3 million. The ruling also awarded Gaye’s family 50% percent of the royalties from “Blurred Lines” moving forward. But other, recent copyright cases have had different outcomes. Taylor Swift faced a similar case in 2017 over her smash hit “Shake It Off,” which was settled and dismissed last year.