Ed Sheeran has spoken out after winning his landmark copyright trial - after vowing to quit music for good if he lost.

Speaking outside New York's Manhattan Federal Court on Thursday, the 32-year-old chart-topper addressed the music community after a jury cleared him and fellow songwriter Amy Wadge of any wrongdoing after they were accused of ripping off part of the famed Marvin Gaye track, 'Let's Get It On'.

The lawsuit was filed back in 2017 by the family of songwriter Ed Townsend, who helped write Gaye's beloved soul anthem.

But, after winning his case today, Sheeran said that he will never allow himself to "become a piggy bank for anyone to shake."

He told reporters waiting outside the courtroom: "I'm obviously very happy with the outcome of the case, and it looks like I'm not having to retire from my day job after all, but - at the same time - I'm unbelievably frustrated that baseless claims like this are allowed to go to court at all.

"We've spent the last eight years talking about two songs with dramatically drifferent lyrics, melodies, and four chords which are also different and used by songwriters every day all over the world. These chords are common building blocks that were used to create music long before 'Let's Get It On' was written and will be used to make music long after we are all gone.

"They are in a songwriter's alphabet, our toolkit, and should be there for all of us to use. No one owns them or the way they are played. In the same way that nobody owns the color blue.

"Unfortunately, unfounded claims like this are being fueled by individuals who are being offered as music experts in musical analysis. In this instance, the other side's musicologist left out words and notes, presented simple and different pitches as melody, and - by doing so - created, what I think we proved for all to see, were misleading comparisons and disinformation to find supposed similarities where none exist.

"And, I think we proved for all to see, that they tried to manipulate my and Amy's song to try and convince the jury that they had a genuine claim.

"I'm very grateful that the jury saw through those attempts. This seems so dangerous to me. Both [for] potential claimants who may be convinced to bring a bogus claim, as well as those songwriters facing them. It's simply wrong.

"By stopping this practice, we can also properly support genuine music copyright claims so that legitimate claims are rightly heard and resolved.

"If the jury had decided this matter the other way, we might as well say goodbye to the creative freedom of songwriters. We need to be able to write our original music and engage with independent creation without worrying at every step of the way that such creativity will be wrongly called into question.

"Like artists everywhere, Amy and I work hard to independently create songs, which are often based around real-life personal experience. It is devastating to be accused of stealing someone else's song when we put so much work into our livelihoods.

"I'm just a guy with a guitar, who loves writing music for people to enjoy. I am not and never will allow myself to be a piggy bank for anyone to shake.

"Having to be in New York for this trial has meant that I have missed being with my family at my grandmother's funeral in Ireland. These trials take a significant trial on everyone involved, including Catherine.

"I want to thank the jury for making the decision that will help protect the creative process of songwriters here in the United States and all around the world.

"I also want to thank my team, these guys, who have supported me throughout this difficult process. And to all the songwriters, musicians, and fans who have reached out with messages of support over the last few weeks.

"And finally, I would like to thank Amy. Neither of us ever expected that - nine years ago, from our wonderful writing session - that we would be here having to defend our integrity. Amy, I feel so lucky to have you in my life, thank you.

"We need songwriters and the wider community to come together and bring back common sense. These claims need to be stopped so that the creative process can carry on and we can all get back to making music. And, at the same time, we absolutely need trusted individuals, real experts, who help support the process of protecting copyright."

When asked how he was feeling after giving his statement, Sheeran simply said: "Great."

Featured image credit: ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy

A woman who is currently suing Ed Sheeran for plagiarism had to be carried out of court after suddenly collapsing.

The 32-year-old singer-songwriter was present in a Manhattan court to contest the allegations that he copied Marvin Gaye’s 1973 song 'Let’s Get It On' in his 2014 hit 'Thinking Out Loud'.

Kathyrn Griffin Townsend - the daughter of songwriter Ed Townsend who co-wrote Gaye's classic soul hit - first sued Sheeran in 2017. She is the writer's only living direct heir and is the plaintiff leading the civil trial.

Things took a sudden turn yesterday (April 26) when she fell down during proceedings on the second day of the copyright infringement trial in New York City.

According to CNN, when the 'Shape of You' musician's lawyers began cross-examination of a music expert, Griffin fell ill and slumped on the floor.

She was then reportedly lifted up by other individuals and had to be given medical assistance before being removed from the room on a stretcher.

The incident is reported to have caused a delay of seven minutes, with proceedings continuing after she was taken from court.

Griffin's lawyer later revealed that she suffers from a "pre-existing medical condition that she’s dealing with," per Metro.

Sheeran's song dominated the charts when it was released - peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. But just two years later, the late songwriter's heirs claimed that the song copied the "heart" of Gaye’s hit song, such as the melody, rhythm, and harmony.

According to The Independent, the plaintiff's attorney, Ben Crump, showed a video from one of the British singer's past live performances in which he "mashes up" his track with 'Let’s Get it On'.

The lawyer described the clip - which can be watched on YouTube - as a "smoking gun" and claimed that the two songs transitioned from one to the other "seamlessly," per Metro.

During Tuesday's (April 25) court session, Sheeran contended that many pop songs share similar chord progressions, and said that his choice to do a mash-up of both songs was not the "smoking gun" that Crump argued that it was.

"If I'd done what you're accusing me of doing, I'd be an idiot to stand on stage in front of 20,000 people and do that," the musician said, as reported by People. "It is my belief that most pop songs are built on building blocks that have been freely available for hundreds of years."

To prove his point, the Grammy-winning vocalist shared that he often infuses songs with similar chords at his concerts. He also pointed out several songs that convey the same progressions such as Van Morrison's 1970 'Crazy Love' and Lewis Capaldi's 2019 'Someone You Loved'.

Furthermore, Sheeran’s lawyer Ilene S Farkas argued that the concert clip does not confirm copyright infringement took place and instead emphasizes that the hitmaker often performs mash-ups during his shows.

The trial is expected to last for up to two weeks.

Featured image credit: ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy

Ed Sheeran has warned he may quit making music for good if he loses his copyright infringement trial.

The singer-songwriter, 32, is accused of copying parts of Marvin Gaye's hit song 'Let's Get It On' in his 2015 track 'Thinking Out Loud', which he has denied.

Sheeran is being sued by Kathyrn Griffin Townsend, the daughter of songwriter Ed Townsend who co-wrote Gaye's 1973 soul hit, and she is seeking $100 million in restitution.

She is the writer's only living direct heir and is the plaintiff leading the civil trial, and first brought a case against Sheeran in 2017.

Townsend had claimed that 'Thinking Out Loud' copied the "heart" of Gaye's song, including the melody, rhythm, and harmony.

However, earlier in the trial, Sheeran had contended that many pop songs share similar chord progressions, telling the court: "It is my belief that most pop songs are built on building blocks that have been freely available for hundreds of years."

The father-of-two has now claimed that if he loses the case, he may stop making music entirely, with MailOnline reporting him as saying in court in Manhattan: "If that happens, I’m done, I’m stopping.

"I find it really insulting to devote my whole life to being a performer and a songwriter and have someone diminish it."

Sheeran also argued that any similarities between his 2015 hit song and the 1973 classic are due to the basic "building blocks" of music and are therefore ineligible for copyright protection.

The musician even performed a brief rendition of 'Thinking Out Loud' for the court after being asked to explain the writing process he uses to create his chart-topping hits.

He told the court that he has no formal musical education but developed his own version of phonetics which he uses to create his songs.

Sheeran revealed he can write up to nine songs a day when inspiration strikes him.

He admitted to the court that he "can't read music" and is "not classically trained in anything", adding: "When inspiration hits, you get excited, and it just comes out."

Sheeran is also famed for mashing up songs in similar keys during his concerts and the court was shown him mixing up the two tracks on stage, to which he said it was "quite simple to weave in and out of songs" if they are in the same key.

The plaintiff's attorneys had argued that was a "smoking gun" to show the similarities between the two tracks, to which Sheeran responded, via People: "If I'd done what you're accusing me of doing, I'd be an idiot to stand on stage in front of 20,000 people and do that."

He also used other examples of songs he has mashed up including Van Morrison's 1970 'Crazy Love' and Lewis Capaldi's 2019 'Someone You Loved' which have similar chord progressions within them, as well as The Beatles' 'Let It Be' and 'No Woman No Cry' by Bob Marley and the Wailers.

The trial continues.

Featured image credit: NurPhoto SRL / Alamy

Is Ed Sheeran the most boring artist in the world? Quite possibly. Honestly, how would you describe Ed Sheeran's music? Slow? Yes. Monotonous? Yes. Extremely boring? Absolutely. However, while his music may be snooze-worthy, he's proven himself to be extremely popular.

Ed Sheeran is estimated to be worth $65 million, an extraordinary figure in its own right. But, when you consider that he has made it off of the back of churning out the same song over and over again, it becomes even more mind-boggling.

However, for all my distaste towards Ed Sheeran, there's plenty of people out there who adore him. Imagine the number of people who have had their first dance to Thinking Out Loud. Imagine the number of people who have shed a tear to Lego House and the number of people who have thought they are a legit rapper because they can sing along to You Need Me, I Don't Need You.

However, if you're one of those who has partaken in slow-dancing to Thinking Out Loud, I'm here to tell you that you were dancing to a song that's become the subject of a monumental new lawsuit.

Ed Sheeran is being sued for $100 million for allegedly copying parts of Marvin Gaye's legendary single, Let's Get It On.

It's alleged that the singer ripped off certain sections of the 1973 classic for his number one single Thinking Out loud.

Legal documents in the US allege that Sheeran's song copies "the melody, rhythms, harmonies, drums, bass line, backing chorus, tempo, syncopation and looping."

Sheeran has already faced legal action over the same track and others before - and has always denied the accusations. In 2016, the same allegation was levelled at the singer from the family of Ed Townsend, the man who co-wrote Let's Get It On.

"The Defendants copied the heart of Let's and repeated it continuously throughout Thinking," the court papers claim.

"The melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic compositions of Thinking are substantially and/or strikingly similar to the drum composition of Let's," it says. It's not known whether this case was ever resolved.

The star was also sued for 20 million over his single Photograph, which two musicians said copied their song Amazing. Songwriters Thomas Leonard and Martin Harrington sued the singer, with the duo claiming that his ballad had a similar structure to their song. The case was settled last year.

However, the most recent claim is being levelled by Structured Asset Sales, a company which owns part of the copyright for Gaye's song. The company bought one-third of the copyright after Ed Townsend died in 2003.

Other defendants listed in the new claim include Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the Atlantic record label and Amy Padge - who co-wrote the song.

So there you have it, Ed could be potentially sued for everything he's got. Although, given that it's an international superstar we're talking about, it probably won't happen. Expect this one to get settled outside of court and swept under the carpet.

Ed Sheeran has candidly opened up about his mental health after suffering a series of personal traumas in recent years, before finding help through therapy.

The singer, 32, who is a father to two daughters - Lyra, two,  and Jupiter, 10 months - with wife Cherry Seaborn, has given fans an intimate look at his personal life in a new documentary.

Ed has given fans a glimpse at what to expect from the Disney + film, titled Ed Sheeran: The Sum Of It All, which doesn't shy away from the more difficult parts of his life.

In the clip, Ed is seen breaking down while discussing the death of his best friend Jamal Edwards - to whom he credits his career - as well as health issues Cherry has been experiencing. 

Ahead of the documentary's release, Ed revealed to Rolling Stone that he had been out for dinner with Taylor Swift and her boyfriend Joe Alwyn and was texting Jamal Edwards the day before the SBTV creator died from cardiac arrhythmia brought on by cocaine use, to arrange plans to shoot a music video the following day.

He told the publication, through tears: "Twelve hours later, he was dead. My best friend died and he shouldn’t have done."

The bereavement sent Ed into a spiral of depression, which he'd first experienced while at school but hadn't addressed until recently.

He explained: "I’ve always had real lows in my life, but it wasn’t really till last year that I actually addressed it."

As well as the death of his friend, Ed was also embroiled in a court battle to defend himself against accusations of plagiarism for his song 'Shape Of You', which he ended up winning.

Around the same time, Cherry was also diagnosed with a tumor while six months pregnant, which was not able to be operated on until she gave birth.

The couple had discussed delivering baby Jupiter early, but Cherry ended up carrying her to term and gave birth in May, before having surgery to remove the tumor in June, which was successful.

Ed also faced further grief when his friend, cricketer Shane Warne, died in March, and the singer found it increasingly difficult to deal with the heartbreak of so many difficult circumstances at the same time.

He admitted: "I felt like I didn’t want to live anymore. And I have had that throughout my life.… You’re under the waves drowning. You’re just sort of in this thing. And you can’t get out of it."

He admitted to feeling "really embarrassed" to have those feelings, especially after becoming a father himself, until Cherry encouraged him to see a therapist and talk about it.

"No one really talks about their feelings where I come from," he explained. "People think it’s weird getting a therapist in England.… I think it’s very helpful to be able to speak with someone and just vent and not feel guilty about venting.

"Obviously, like, I’ve lived a very privileged life. So my friends would always look at me like, 'Oh, it’s not that bad.'"

He admitted that working on his mental health is an ongoing process and "isn’t a button that is pressed, where you’re automatically okay".

Ed Sheeran: The Sum Of It All is available on Disney+ from May 3.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please reach out for help and contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.

Featured image credit: NurPhoto SRL / Alamy