The titles of Ed Sheeran always make the fans dance and sing as much but the 31-year-old artist does not really have the heart to celebrate at the moment… This Friday, March 4, the popular Briton presented himself at the High Court in London where his trial was beginning, as reported by the DailyMail.
The interpreter of Perfect is accused by two songwriters, Sami Chokri and Ross O’Donoghue, of being largely inspired by one of their creations, oh whyfor his interplanetary title Shape of Youbest-selling title of 2017. If Ed Sheeran and his team refuted these accusations, the case unfortunately went to court. The trial is expected to last three weeks, after which Judge Anthony Zacaroli’s verdict will be delivered.
This is not the first time that Ed Sheeran has been accused of plagiarism for one of his songs. His title Photograph, released in 2014, had already raised the ire of other artists. On “advice from his lawyers“, Ed Sheeran even admitted to having proposed a financial arrangement to avoid the trial and to forget this story. A confession that is not likely to help the case of the Briton.
During the hearing on Friday March 4, Shape of You and oh why were disseminated, so as to highlight the “similarities“pointed out by the complainants:”[Ed Sheeran] borrows ideas and throws them into his songs, sometimes he recognizes it, sometimes he doesn’t“, indicated Andrew Sutcliffe, the lawyer of the two plaintiffs. That “depends on who you are and if he thinks he can do it with impunity“. He recalled that his customers were “very talented songwriters, who deserve the same respect as any other artist and recognition when it is due“. Pending the end of the trial, the payment of royalties related to Shape Of Youvalued at nearly 24 million euros according to the newspaper The Telegraph, have been suspended. Music soothes the soul. Not always apparently.