Ed Sheeran opened up about the emotional toll of the long-running copyright disputes surrounding his 2014 hit, “Thinking Out Loud.”
In a candid interview with TIME for the magazine’s TIME100 list, the singer revealed how the legal battles, which stemmed from comparisons to Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On,” made him feel exploited.
“For a while, it was like people treated me as a piggy bank,” Sheeran admitted, sharing that it took years to regain his sense of freedom once the lawsuits were resolved.
The ongoing legal saga included multiple accusations of copyright infringement, most notably filed by the heirs of Ed Townsend, the co-writer of Gaye’s classic.
Despite these hurdles, Sheeran fought back, securing a key victory in November 2024 when a U.S. appeals court ruled in his favor.
The court affirmed that any similarities between the two songs were based on basic musical elements that cannot be owned.
“It’s a relief that the truth has been heard,” Sheeran said after the ruling, adding that he felt vindicated and ready to move forward.
After years of legal pressure, the court’s final decisions marked a turning point, allowing Sheeran to reclaim his creative freedom.
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