Ed Sheeran wins copyright trial over Shape of You
- Ed Sheeran won a copyright case after being accused by Sami Chokri of plagiarising ‘Shape of You’
- Chokri had alleged that the phrase "Oh I" in Sheeran's track was "strikingly similar" to an "Oh why" hook in his own track
- Sheeran’s ‘Shape of You’ was the best-selling track of 2017 in UK
English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran won a copyright trial after being accused by British grime artist Sami Chokri of plagiarising the 2017 track ‘Shape of You’.
A High Court judge ruled on Wednesday that Sheeran did not plagiarise Chokri’s 2015 track ‘Oh Why’.
Chokri, who uses the stage name Sami Switch, had alleged that the phrase “Oh I” in Sheeran’s track was “strikingly similar” to an “Oh why” hook in his own track.
Sheeran stated that he did not recall hearing ‘Oh Why’ before being accused of plagiarizing it. Sheeran’s ‘Shape of You’ was the United Kingdom’s best-selling track of 2017 and continues to hold the record of being Spotify’s most-streamed track.
The catchy track was written by Snow Patrol’s John McDaid and producer Steven McCutcheon, both of who declined allegations of replication.
The case’s proceedings began in 2018 and resulted in a trial in London last month. The trial spanned 11 days.
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Providing evidence, Sheeran refused that he “borrows” ideas from unknown songwriters without giving proper credit and acknowledgment, and emphasized that he has always been “completely fair” in crediting artists for contributing to his projects.
Andrew Sutcliffe QC, who represents Chokri, and co-writer Ross O’Donoghue, called the ‘Shape of You’ vocalist a “magpie”, alleging that he “habitually copies” the work of other artists and that it is “extremely likely” that he had already heard Chokri’s track ‘Oh Why’.
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During the trial, forensic musicologists offered contradicting views. While one said that the tracks were “distinctly different”, others strongly claimed that they possess “significant similarities”.
Ian Mill QC, who legally represents Sheeran, said that the case has been extremely “traumatising” for the artist.
On the other hand, Chokri summed up the case as “the worst few weeks” of his life.
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