Lawsuit Claims Ed Sheeran Copied Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On”

Pop star Ed Sheeran is in a bit of hot water after the family of a co-writer of the classic Marvin Gaye tune “Let’s Get It On” filed a lawsuit against the British singer-songwriter.

The family of Ed Townsend, one of the songwriters of the Gaye classic, claims that Sheeran’s song “Thinking Out Loud” is derivative of “Let’s Get It On” and repeats the core of the song throughout.

“The Defendants copied the ‘heart’ of ‘Let’s’ and repeated it continuously throughout ‘Thinking,’” the suit alleges. “The melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic compositions of ‘Thinking’ are substantially and/or strikingly similar to the drum composition of ‘Let’s.’”

To add insult to injury, the lawsuit says that Sheeran kept playing the song during his performances after he was informed of the infringement claim last year. The Townsend estate is demanding a trial as well as financial compensation.

Take a listen below and compare the two tracks for yourself.