Ed Sheeran Wins Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Over ‘Thinking Out Loud’

Components of a 1973 song that Sheeran allegedly plagiarized had already been used in several songs released before the 1973 song, the court observed.

Musician Ed Sheeran walks into Manhattan federal court in New York City on April 25, 2023. Brittainy Newman/AP Photo

A federal appeals court ruled in favor of singer Ed Sheeran in a case that accused him of plagiarizing music from a five-decade-old song.

The case revolves around “Thinking Out Loud,” co-written by Sheeran in 2014, according to a Nov. 1 ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. The hit song went on to garner billions of streams and win two Grammy Awards. Structured Asset Sales (SAS), which owns interest in royalties from the 1973 song “Let’s Get It On,” filed a lawsuit in 2018, accusing Sheeran of copying certain musical components.