Ed Sheeran song-theft case gets underway in New York

completemusicupdate.com:

The long awaited trial over whether or not Ed Sheeran ripped off Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’ when he wrote his song ‘Thinking Out Loud’ finally gets underway in New York later today.

This follows the jury selection process yesterday.Originally scheduled to commence in November 2020, but delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Sheeran is accused of infringing the copyright of late songwriter Ed Townsend, who co-wrote the Gaye classic.

The songwriter’s family say that the similarities between ‘Let’s Get It On’ and ‘Thinking Out Loud’ are too distinct to be a coincidence, while the Sheeran side argues that the only thing they have in common are often used chord progressions.Seven jurors were selected from a wider panel of New York residents yesterday.

Among those rejected were self-confessed Sheeran fans, a person who has personal links to artists signed to Sheeran’s publisher Sony Music Publishing, and someone studying for a PhD in Musicology.The three men and four women who made the final cut largely do not have any connection to music, although two have backgrounds in singing and musical theatre, according to Law360.Opening statements in the case are due to take place today.