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☆ Stolen or Original? Hear Songs From 7 Landmark Copyright Cases.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Here is a guide to some of the most consequential music copyright cases in recent decades, along with excerpts from their recordings. In cases like these, the only material in question are the songs’ underlying compositions: the melodies, chords and lyrics that can be notated on paper. Juries must decide not only if one song copies another, but whether the earlier song was original and distinctive enough to be protected by copyright. “The problem with cases like this is that people ask the wrong question,” said Joe Bennett, a professor at the Berklee College of Music who works as a forensic musicologist in legal cases. “They ask the question, ‘How similar is song B to song A,’ whereas what they should be asking is how original is song A.”Got that?

☆ Ed Sheeran Defends Himself in Court, With His Guitar
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ed Sheeran testified with a guitar on Thursday at a closely watched copyright trial, defending his hit ballad “Thinking Out Loud” against an accusation that he had copied it from Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.”Cradling his acoustic instrument in a federal courtroom in Manhattan, Mr. Sheeran demonstrated the four-chord sequence at the heart of his song, which he said was written in a few hours in early 2014 with his friend and longtime collaborator Amy Wadge. He recounted just stepping out of the shower of his home when he heard Ms. Wadge strumming the chords, and he remembered thinking: “We need to do something with that.”The song went to No. 1 in Britain and No. 2 in the United States, and in 2016 won a Grammy Award for song of the year. But in 2017, the family of Ed Townsend, Gaye’s co-writer, sued for copyright infringement, saying that the chord progression, with its syncopated pattern, was copied from “Let’s Get It On.”Mr. Sheeran has been a regular presence at the trial, which began on Monday in Federal District Court in Manhattan, listening to the testimony of his accusers, who include Kathryn Griffin Townsend, Mr. Townsend’s daughter.

New York CNN —Musician Ed Sheeran played guitar and sang on the stand Thursday as part of his testimony in a copyright infringement trial about whether his smash single “Thinking Out Loud” copied the classic Marvin Gaye song “Let’s Get It On.”Sheeran played the opening line of “Thinking Out Loud” in an attempt to rebut the testimony of the plaintiff’s expert witness, Alexander Stewart. Kathryn Townsend Griffin, daughter of singer and songwriter Ed Townsend, speaks outside New York Federal Court during a copyright infringement trial against singer Ed Sheeran, Wednesday, April 26, 2023, in New York. John Minchillo/APSheeran is accused of copying “Let’s Get It On” by the heirs of Ed Townsend, who co-wrote the 1973 hit with Gaye. Sheeran’s legal team has argued throughout the week that the sounds used in both songs are common in pop music. In his opening statement Tuesday, Townsend attorney Ben Crump noted Sheeran played his ballad and Gaye’s song back-to-back in a medley during a concert, and called the moment a “smoking gun.”

☆ Ed Sheeran Testifies in Trial Over Alleged Copying of Marvin Gaye Song
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( James Fanelli | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ed Sheeran, arriving to a federal court in New York City, later sparred from the witness stand with the plaintiffs’ lawyers in his trial over alleged copyright-infringement. Photo: Stephanie Keith/Bloomberg NewsDid British pop star Ed Sheeran rip off Marvin Gaye’s classic song “Let’s Get It On” when he wrote a Grammy-winning love ballad? A federal jury in New York began considering that question Tuesday in a copyright-infringement trial that could have implications for how songwriters arrange chords to make music.

☆ Ed Sheeran Goes on Trial for Alleged Copying of Marvin Gaye Song
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( James Fanelli | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Ed Sheeran is being sued for allegedly copying Marvin Gaye — here's where the trial stands
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Stefan Sykes | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Musician Ed Sheeran was in court this week to deny claims that his 2014 song "Thinking Out Loud" is a copy of Marvin Gaye's 1973 classic "Let's Get it On." The high-profile copyright case was brought by the heirs of Ed Townsend, who co-wrote "Let's Get It On" with Gaye. The defense, which did not cross examine Sheeran, said he'll be back on the stand once more during the trial. Sheeran also said the 2014 concert mash-up only happened because most pop songs use a handful of similar chords. "It is my belief that most pop songs are built on building blocks that have been freely available for hundreds of years."

☆ Ed Sheeran plagiarism trial erupts in laughs over nerdy, computer-generated version of 'Let's Get It On'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ed Sheeran is on trial in federal court in Manhattan, fighting a copyright infringement lawsuit. Laughter broke out Wednesday as an expert played a nerdy 'AI' version of Marvin Gaye's soul classic. "Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on baby," the voice continued, without apostrophes or groove. "It was hideous," Griffin Townsend told Insider of the robotic rendition of her father's song that was played for jurors on Wednesday. "Most pop songs can fit over most pop songs," he told jurors of the two songs' overlapping chord structure.

☆ Royal castles to luxury getaways: How to spend King Charles III's coronation weekend
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | Rob Goss | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The king has pledged a more scaled-back affair than that celebrated by his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, in 1953. Here's CNBC Travel's top picks for how to spend the coronation weekend. Watch the ceremonial processionThe coronation will take place at Westminster Abbey on May 6 in a service conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Buckingham Palace, London residence of the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom, is open for tours outside of the coronation weekend. Picnic in the Royal ParksLondon's Royal Parks offer a more low-key way to absorb the royal atmosphere over the coronation weekend.

Sheeran is accused of copying “Let’s Get It On” by the heirs of Ed Townsend, who co-wrote the 1973 hit with Gaye. Townsend’s daughter Kathryn Townsend Griffin, sister Helen McDonald and the estate of his former wife, Cherrigale Townsend, are the listed plaintiffs on the “Thinking Out Loud” case. In particular he sees melodic similarities in the verse, chorus and interlude of Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud,” he said. British singer Sheeran’s legal team has argued that the sounds used in both songs are common in pop music. “No one owns basic musical building blocks,” Ilene Farkas, Sheeran’s attorney, told the jury in opening remarks Tuesday.

☆ Ed Sheeran, Accused of Copying Marvin Gaye, Testifies He Wrote His Song
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The pop singer Ed Sheeran took the witness stand Tuesday at a closely watched copyright trial in which he stands accused of copying his ballad “Thinking Out Loud” from Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On,” and told a jury that he and a collaborator had written their song based on their own experiences. “Yes, Amy Wadge and I wrote the song ‘Thinking Out Loud,’” Mr. Sheeran testified, explaining that they created the song, about holding on to romance throughout a long life, after seeing the affection between his aged grandparents. The case was brought by the family of Ed Townsend, a producer and songwriter who created “Let’s Get It On” with Gaye in 1973. They assert that the “heart” of “Let’s Get It On” — a four-chord progression that repeats in a signature syncopated rhythm — was copied by Mr. Sheeran for his track. Lawyers for Mr. Sheeran argue that those elements are basic musical building blocks that are in the public domain and have turned up in numerous other pop songs.

[1/5] Singer Ed Sheeran arrives at Manhattan Federal Court for his copyright trial in New York City, U.S., April 25, 2023. "We don't allow dancing," U.S. District Judge Louis Stanton instructed the seven-member jury. The trial is the first of three Sheeran could face from lawsuits over similarities between the two hits. Sheeran is expected to testify again later in the trial as part of the defense case. If the jury finds Sheeran liable for copyright infringement, the trial will enter a second phase to determine how much he and his labels owe in damages.

New York CNN —Musician Ed Sheeran took the stand Tuesday in a high-profile copyright trial about whether his smash single “Thinking Out Loud” copied a classic Marvin Gaye song. Sheeran was called to testify Tuesday by Townsend attorney Keisha Rice. Earlier in Tuesday’s court proceedings, Crump attempted to portray Sheeran as someone who recognized the “magic” of Gaye’s soul song and then used it to catapult his career. She said she hired her own musicologists for her “personal clarity.”There have been a number of prominent music copyright lawsuits in recent years. After his successful 2022 legal battle, Sheeran posted a video to his Instagram voicing his concern over the recent wave of music copyright cases.

☆ Ed Sheeran Trial: Did He Copy Marvin Gaye? Here’s What to Know.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A closely watched music copyright trial is set to begin Monday in federal court in Manhattan, where a jury will decide a lawsuit accusing Ed Sheeran of copying his Grammy-winning ballad “Thinking Out Loud” from Marvin Gaye’s soul classic “Let’s Get It On.”Sheeran is expected to testify at the trial, which is getting underway less than two weeks before he plans to release a new album and begin an extensive North American stadium tour. The case, originally filed in 2017, has been delayed multiple times. The music industry is keenly interested in the outcome. The trend began in 2015 when a jury found that Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams, in their hit “Blurred Lines,” had infringed on the copyright of another Gaye tune, “Got to Give It Up,” and they were ordered to pay more than $5 million in damages. The case shocked many legal experts — and musicians — who believed that Thicke and Williams were being penalized for using basic musical building blocks, like harmonies and rhythmic patterns, that had long been considered part of the public domain.

New York CNN —A copyright infringement case against British pop artist Ed Sheeran is set to kick off this week, with the potential to further complicate the legal landscape for songwriters. The jury was selected Monday in the case against Sheeran, who is accused of copying the 1973 soul hit “Let’s Get It On” by the heirs of Ed Townsend, who co-wrote the song with Marvin Gaye. The trial concerns Sheeran’s song “Thinking Out Loud,” which won the 2016 Grammy award for song of the year. Sheeran, meanwhile, has faced previous legal battles over his music and won. After his successful 2022 legal battle, Sheeran posted a video to his Instagram voicing his concern over the recent wave of music copyright cases.

Heirs of songwriter Ed Townsend sued Sheeran, his label Warner Music Group and music publisher Sony Music Publishing for allegedly ripping off Gaye's classic, which Townsend co-wrote. Townsend's heirs sued Sheeran for copyright infringement in 2017, claiming "Thinking Out Loud" copied the "heart" of Gaye's song including its melody, harmony and rhythm. The heirs said in a court filing that they received 22% of the writer's share of Gaye's song from Townsend. Sheeran won a trial in London last year in a separate copyright case over his hit "Shape of You." Gaye's heirs won a landmark verdict in 2015 over claims that the Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams song "Blurred Lines" copied Gaye's "Got to Give It Up."

☆ Harry Styles, Kate Bush among nominees for Ivor songwriting awards
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 19 (Reuters) - Singers Harry Styles and Kate Bush are among the nominees at next month's Ivors, the annual awards honouring songwriters and screen composers. Styles has three nominations overall, including best song musically and lyrically for "As It Was" and songwriter of the year alongside his collaborator Kid Harpoon. Tom Odell’s "Best Day of My Life", Katie Gregson-Macleod’s "complex", Sault's "Stronger" and Florence + the Machine’s "King" complete the Best Song Musically and Lyrically category. Box office hit "Avatar: The Way of Water" and psychological drama "Don't Worry Darling" are among the nominees for best original film score. Named after the early 20th century Welsh composer, actor and entertainer Ivor Novello, the Ivor Awards were first handed out in 1956.

☆ When Songs Sound Similar, Courts Look for Musical DNA
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On the surface, Ed Sheeran and Led Zeppelin might not seem to have a lot in common. Led Zeppelin is a classic-rock colossus whose molten riffs are part of the foundation of heavy metal. Yet when it comes to the recent history of copyright litigation in music, Sheeran and Led Zeppelin are practically joined at the hip. In some ways, “Thinking Out Loud” bears an obvious resemblance to “Let’s Get It On.” They share nearly identical chord progressions and similar bass lines. (In this case, performance elements in the recordings are irrelevant; the suit involves only the underlying compositions.)

☆ BRITS' all-male best artist list casts shadow ahead of music awards
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Marie-Louise Gumuchian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/PoolLONDON, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Hitmakers gather in London on Saturday for Britain's pop music honours, the BRIT awards, where an all-male contender list for the artist of the year prize has cast a shadow over the event's introduction of gender-neutral categories. But it added that organisers "acknowledge and share in the disappointment" of no women making the list. "A key factor is that, unfortunately, there were relatively few commercially successful releases by women in 2022 compared to those by men." We recognise this points to wider issues around the representation of women in music that must also be addressed." Last year, women won prizes in 10 of the awards' 15 categories.

☆ Harry Styles and Wet Leg lead BRIT nominations
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Sarah Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Wet Leg perform on the Pyramid Stage during Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset, Britain, June 24, 2022. REUTERS/Dylan MartinezLONDON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Nominations for this year's BRIT Awards are out and it is Harry Styles and Wet Leg leading the way with four nods each. Announced via an online stream on Thursday, global pop star Styles and rock duo Wet Leg are both up for the coveted album of the year prize along with rap artist Stormzy, producer Fred again and pop rock band The 1975. Acts including rock band Arctic Monkeys, rapper Central Cee and singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran have several nominations. The rest of the winners will be announced at the BRIT Awards 2023 with Mastercard on Feb. 11, 2023, at The O2 arena in London where there will also be performances from artists including Sam Smith, Kim Petras and Wet Leg.

☆ Final farewell: From Sidney Poitier to Pope Emeritus Benedict a look back at the influential figures who died in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +55 min

Other world leaders who died in 2022 include former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who died in August. The final days of 2022 saw the loss of some exceptionally notable figures, including Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2022 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___Dan Reeves, 77. A Cuban-born artist whose radiant color palette and geometric paintings were overlooked for decades before the art world took notice. A prolific character actor best known for playing villains and tough guys in “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Ocean’s Eleven” and other films.

☆ Piers Morgan's Twitter account was flooded with offensive posts aimed at Ed Sheeran and Queen Elizabeth II after his account was seemingly hacked
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Piers Morgan's Twitter account was flooded with offensive posts after his account was seemingly hacked. In one of the posts, Morgan's account announced that Andrew Tate had been shot dead in Dubai. By 9 a.m. EST, the tweets had disappeared and Morgan's Twitter account had been cleared of its profile and banner photo. Another tweet posted from the account said: "Fuck the Queen," seemingly in reference to the recent death of Queen Elizabeth II. Morgan's Twitter hack follows another high-profile social-media hack in the UK.

☆ Spotify Wrapped 2022: Bad Bunny is the most popular artist worldwide
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Maybe the year of the rabbit came early – Bad Bunny was Spotify’s most-streamed artist worldwide in 2022, his third year in a row. The Puerto Rican superstar once again dominated Spotify Wrapped, the streaming service’s yearly roundup of the artists and songs its users spent the year listening to. Bad Bunny was already a star, but this year proved to be a blockbuster for the “Moscow Mule” singer. His smash-hit album “Un Verano Sin Ti,” which has since been nominated for album of the year at the upcoming Grammys, was also Spotify’s most-streamed album worldwide this year. Harry Styles, pictured performing during the 2022 Coachella festival, is featured on this year's Spotify Wrapped.

☆ Analysis: ‘Welcome to Chippendales’ strips down a true crime origin story
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

So in the coming weeks, we shall be switching things up and putting a little meat on the bone. Three things to watch‘Welcome to Chippendales’Kumail Nanjiani in a scene from Hulu's "Welcome to Chippendales." This new limited series, starring Kumail Nanjiani and Murray Bartlett, among others, also doubles as a true crime tale. Let me grab my dollar bills now, because the first two episodes of “Welcome to Chippendales” are streaming now. Grime is a British genre of hip-hop/electronic music, and Stormzy is one of its best-known stars.

☆ American Music Awards 2022: See the winners list
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The 50th American Music Awards are taking place on Sunday night at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Elton John, first nominated for an AMA in 1974, is now regarded as the longest-recognized artist in the awards show’s history. Taylor Swift led the pack with three AMA wins ahead of broadcast, including best female country artist. Below is a list of nominees for this year’s American Music Awards. The list will be updated with winners in bold throughout the broadcast, along with the winners from non-televised categories.

☆ Factbox: Key nominations for the 2023 Grammy Awards
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Danielle Broadway | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nov 15 (Reuters) - Nominations for the music industry’s Grammy Awards were announced during a livestreamed program at the Grammy Museum on Tuesday. The following is a list of nominations in key categories. RECORD OF THE YEAR“Don't Shut Me Down” - ABBA“Easy On Me” - Adele“BREAK MY SOUL” - Beyonce“Good Morning Gorgeous” - Mary J. Blige“Woman” - Doja Cat“Bad Habit” - Steve LacyALBUM OF THE YEAR“Voyage” - ABBA“30” - Adele“Un Verano Sin Ti” - Bad Bunny“RENAISSANCE” - Beyonce“Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe)” - Mary J. Blige“In These Silent Days” - Brandi Carlile“Music Of The Spheres” - Coldplay“Mr. (Let's Go)” - Hitkidd & GloRilla“The Heart Part 5” - Kendrick LamarBEST ROCK PERFORMANCE“So Happy It Hurts” - Bryan Adams“Old Man” - Beck“Wild Child” - The Black Keys“Broken Horses” - Brandi Carlile“Crawl!” - Idles“Patient Number 9” - Ozzy Osbourne Featuring Jeff Beck“Holiday” - TurnstileBEST COUNTRY ALBUM“Growin' Up” - Luke Combs“Palomino” - Miranda Lambert“Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville" - Ashley McBryde“Humble Quest” - Maren Morris“A Beautiful Time” - Willie NelsonThe 2023 Grammy’s will take place in Los Angeles at the Crypto Arena on Feb. 5. Reporting by Danielle Broadway Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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