After years of legal headache over his 2017 hit song "Shape of You," British superstar Ed Sheeran finally triumphed over the copyright infringement lawsuit filed four years ago.
Ed Sheeran' Shape of You' Copyright Lawsuit Verdict
According to Variety, a United Kingdom High Court announced today, Apr. 6, 2022, that "Shape of You" hitmaker Ed Sheeran had not plagiarised Sami Chokri's 2015 song "Oh Why," which the latter have alleged.
Judge Antony Zacaroli stated that Ed Sheeran had "neither deliberately nor subconsciously copied" Sam Chokri's song "Oh Why."
Although there were "similarities between the one-bar phrase" on both songs, "such similarities are only a starting point for a possible infringement" of copyright.
After a thorough analysis of Chokri's "Oh Why" and Sheeran's "Shape of You," Zacaroli comes up with a realization that there are "differences between the relevant parts" of the two tracks.
This, in turn, provides "compelling evidence" that the "Oh I" repetitive phrase in "Shape of You" originated from other sources than "Oh Why."
Zacaroli also addressed the allegations that Chokri had expressed before, wherein he claimed that Sheeran had already heard "Oh Why" before writing "Shape of You."
"I find, as a matter of fact, that he had not heard it," adding that there was only a "speculative foundation" on the defence's claim.
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Ed Sheeran Statement Over' Shape of You' Trial Win
Ed Sheeran's longstanding battle with his hit 2017 single has cost him more than his finances.
"There is a cost on creativity. When we are tangled up in law suits, we are not making music or playing shows. There is a cost on our mental health. The stress this causes on all sides is immense," Sheeran said in a statement.
Sheeran also revealed that the lawsuit affected so many aspects of their everyday lives and their families and friends.
"We are not corporations. We are not entities. We are human beings. We are songwriters. We do not want to diminish the hurt and pain anyone has suffered through this, and at the same time, we feel it is important to acknowledge that we too have had our own hurts and life struggles throughout the course of this process," he added.
Despite his optimism in the statement, Sheeran stressed that although there should be "due process for legitimate and warranted copyright protection," it is not the same as having "a culture where unwarranted claims are easily brought.
Ed Sheeran's complete statement can be viewed on this website.
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