US Trends

what did ed sheeran get sued for

Ed Sheeran has been sued multiple times, mainly over copyright infringement claims tied to some of his biggest hits, especially “Thinking Out Loud” and “Photograph.” The most high‑profile case accused him of copying Marvin Gaye’s classic “Let’s Get It On,” but a US jury ultimately cleared him, ruling he did not infringe copyright.

What did Ed Sheeran get sued for?

Main “Thinking Out Loud” lawsuit

The biggest headline case was about whether “Thinking Out Loud” copied elements of Marvin Gaye’s 1973 hit “Let’s Get It On.” Heirs of Ed Townsend (Gaye’s co‑writer) claimed Sheeran lifted the chord progression, harmonic rhythm, and feel of the track and sued for around $100 million in damages.

Key points:

  • Plaintiffs argued Sheeran took the rhythm, chord progression, and other musical elements from “Let’s Get It On” without permission.
  • They used a concert mash‑up video of Sheeran blending “Thinking Out Loud” and “Let’s Get It On” as “smoking gun” evidence of similarity.
  • After a federal trial in New York, the jury decided the shared musical building blocks were too common to be protected, and found that Sheeran created “Thinking Out Loud” independently.

So, he did get sued over “Thinking Out Loud,” but he won that case and was not found liable for infringement.

The “Photograph” copyright claim

Earlier, Sheeran also faced a major lawsuit over his ballad “Photograph.” Two songwriters, Thomas Leonard and Martin Harrington, claimed it copied parts of their song “Amazing,” which had been recorded by X Factor winner Matt Cardle.

What happened:

  • The lawsuit argued that “Photograph” shared a substantially similar structure and melody to “Amazing.”
  • The claim reportedly sought $20 million in damages before being resolved.
  • The case did not go to a full trial; it was settled out of court , with terms not publicly disclosed.

In this instance, Sheeran did not get a jury verdict either way; the settlement ended the legal dispute.

Why his lawsuits became a trending topic

Ed Sheeran’s cases sparked big debates online about how similar pop songs can sound before it becomes “stealing.” Many musicians and fans argued that basic chord progressions are used in countless songs, so treating them as protected would “monopolize” fundamental musical building blocks.

Some common talking points in forum and social media discussions:

  • There are only so many chords and notes, so overlaps are inevitable in pop music.
  • Lawsuits often come from rights holders and estates, not from the original artists themselves.
  • High‑profile cases like Sheeran’s make other songwriters nervous about being sued for using standard progressions and grooves.

Because Sheeran performed mash‑ups of his songs with older hits on stage, clips of those performances often went viral and fueled “he copied” vs “it’s just the same chords” arguments in comment sections and forums.

Mini FAQ: “Latest news” angle

  • Is Ed Sheeran currently guilty of copying “Let’s Get It On”?
    No. A jury ruled he did not infringe the copyright in that song, and he publicly called the claims “baseless.”
  • Did he lose any big copyright case?
    The major “Photograph” lawsuit ended in a settlement rather than a courtroom win or loss, so no final judgment on infringement was made public.
  • Why do people keep asking what he got sued for?
    The mix of mega‑hit songs, massive damage claims, and the Marvin Gaye connection turned his cases into recurring trending topics whenever music copyright or “all pop songs sound the same” debates flare up online.

TL;DR: Ed Sheeran was sued mainly for alleged copyright infringement on “Thinking Out Loud” (claimed to copy “Let’s Get It On”) and “Photograph,” but he won the big Marvin Gaye‑related trial and settled the “Photograph” case privately.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.