If Ed Sheeran loses his copyright trial, he may be done with music.
The singer-songwriter is being sued for alleged copyright infringement in connection with his 2014 hit “Thinking Out Loud.” The heirs of Ed Townsend, one of Marvin Gaye’s co-writers on “Let’s Get It On,” have accused him of stealing elements of the 1973 soul classic for his Grammy-winning single.
Sheeran testified in federal court in Manhattan on Monday, denying claims that he infringed on the song and even threatening to quit music if found guilty.
“If that happens, I’m done, I’m stopping,” Sheeran said of the trial’s impact on him (via Daily Mail).
“It’s really insulting to me to devote my entire life to being a performer and songwriter and have someone diminish it,” he added.
Townsend’s heirs are suing Sheeran, claiming “Thinking Out Loud” has “striking similarities” and “overt common elements” with “Let’s Get It On.” They’re suing for $100 million in damages.
Video footage shown in court showed Sheeran combining the two songs during a performance, which Townsend’s lawyer Ben Crump described as a “confession.”
“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],” Sheeran responded to the allegations. “I believe that most pop songs are constructed from building blocks that have been freely available for hundreds of years.”
The Associated Press reports that Sheeran’s lawyer told the court that he and co-writer Amy Wadge “created this heartfelt song without copying ‘Let’s Get It On.'”
Sheeran’s new album, Subtract, will be released on Friday. Along with his stadium tour, which begins May 6, he has announced a series of intimate theater shows across North America.
