against Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” — and the music industry is looking on in rapt attention.as a whole, with the potential to “restrict the creativity of all other musicians,” copyright experts tell the Star.
Townsend’s estate claims Sheeran’s 2014 hit copied elements from “Let’s Get It On” — primarily its chord progression, which is nearly identical between the two songs. Meanwhile, the plaintiffs argue “Let’s Get It On” is more complex than its chord progression, that its syncopated rhythm and specific way the chords are used is enough to constitute copyright protection.Should Sheeran lose his case, the trial would set a precedent for which elements of music can be copyrightable, according to Brett Caraway, a professor of media economics at the University of Toronto.