Supreme Court Turns Down Ed Sheeran Copyright Case, Leaving Music Rights Battle Unsettled

On Monday, the nation's top court declined to review claims against Ed Sheeran over his song "Thinking Out Loud." Critics said it copied parts of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On."

The decision keeps the lower court's finding intact. According to USA Today, Judge Michael Park wrote to the New York-based 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals: "No reasonable jury could find that the two songs, taken as a whole, are substantially similar in light of their dissimilar melodies and lyrics."

The lawsuit came from Structured Asset Sales, which owns about 11% of Gaye's song rights. They went after Sheeran and major music companies, seeking cash for what they called stolen musical bits.

Last year, Judge Louis Stanton dismissed the case. His view? The musical parts in question were too basic to be protected by law. When challengers tried to bring up points not in the original sheet music, appeals judges shot them down.

Speaking outside the courthouse after winning a similar case filed by Townsend's heirs in 2023, Ed Sheeran expressed, "It's devastating to be accused of stealing someone else's song when we've put so much work into our livelihoods."

The fight sparked debate about music protection limits. SAS lawyers told the Supreme Court, "The rights of thousands of legacy musical composers and artists, of many of the most beloved and enduring pieces of popular music, are at the center of the controversy," as reported by CNN.

"Thinking Out Loud" shot up the charts in 2015, staying strong for 58 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. The track also earned him his first two big awards at the 2016 Grammys for Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance.

Yet this might not be the end. A second SAS suit, based on the actual recording of "Let's Get It On," sits on pause. The company's chief, David Pullman, hinted to Billboard that they might take another shot at the Supreme Court down the road.