It’s a waiting game now for Ed Sheeran, whose copyright trial over his hit “Shape of You” has now concluded, reports the BBC.
According to the BBC, Ed’s lawyer Ian Mill said the 11-day trial was “deeply traumatizing” for Ed and his co-writers on the song, Johnny McDaid and Steve Mac, and said that the case “should never have gone to trial,” describing it as “deeply unfortunate.”
Ed has been accused of copying parts of “Shape of You” from the song “Oh Why,” by Sami Chokri, who performs under the name Sam Switch. In dispute is the ‘Oh I, oh I, oh I” part of the song, which follows the chorus. Chokri and his co-writer claim it’s virtually identical to their song, which came out two years before “Shape of You.”
Chokri’s lawyer argued that he’d made every attempt to send “Oh Why” to Ed in hopes that he would like the song and help promote it. Ed and his camp deny ever playing the song for Ed, or even being aware of the song.
The court was told that “Shape of You” was written in under an hour, which Chokri’s lawyer, Andrew Sutcliffe, claimed was proof that Ed had the melody of “Oh Why” “consciously or unconsciously in his head.”
But Mill argued, “Speed is indicative of the genius of Mr Sheeran and his ability to work at a speed no one else can,” and said the similarities between the songs were “too generic” to be protected by copyright.
According to the BBC, “Shape of You” earns Ed and his co-writers about seven million dollars a year, though 10% of those royalties have been frozen until the dispute is settled. The judge said he would “take some time to consider [his] judgment.”
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