Ed Sheeran has declared that he will end his music career if proven guilty of copyright infringement.
The Grammy Award winning artists is currently battling in a legal dispute over his 2014 chart-topper, ‘Thinking Out Loud.’ The song has been accused of violating the copyright of Marvin Gaye’s iconic track ‘Let’s Get It On.’
In the legal case brought forward by the heirs of Ed Townsend, co-writer of Marvin Gaye, it is claimed that Ed Sheeran utilized the rhythm, chord progression, and other components of the 1973 soul hit ‘Let’s Get It On’ in his 2014 song ‘Thinking Out Loud’ without obtaining permission.
According to reports, on Monday during the second week of his trial, Sheeran stated in court that he would leave the music industry if he was found guilty.
“If that happens, I’m done, I’m stopping,” Sheeran told the court. “I find it really insulting to devote my whole life to being a performer and a songwriter and have someone diminish it,” he added.
Although he didn’t specifically name them, he mentioned that there are individuals in the music industry who are supporting him in his legal proceedings and are appreciative of his efforts to defend the integrity of songwriting against what they fear could be a threat to their work.
Townsend’s family has reportedly asked for $100 million in restitution from Sheeran if found guilty.
This is not the first time that Sheeran has been faced with a copyright lawsuit. He was previously sued for allegedly plagiarizing the 2015 single ‘Oh Why’ by Sam Chokri and Ross O’Donoghue in his popular song ‘Shape Of You’. However, the judge ruled in favor of Sheeran, stating that his team did not intentionally or unintentionally copy any part of ‘Oh Why’ in the making of the song.
