Ed Sheeran has won the copyright lawsuit over his 2017 hit single “Shape of You.”
A High Court ruled on Wednesday that Sheeran did not plagiarize Sami Chokri’s “Oh Why.”
Judge Antony Zacaroli stated in his ruling that the singer-songwriter “neither deliberately nor subconsciously copied” Chokri’s work. Zacaroli said that despite similarities, these are only “a starting point for a possible infringement” of copyright.
On the accusation that Sheeran had previously listened to “Oh Why,” the court decided that the artist had not heard it. He labeled the defense’s basis as “speculative foundation.”
Zacaroli ruled that Sheeran “neither deliberately nor subconsciously copied” Chokri’s song. He concluded by stating that Chokri’s accusation is damaging to the industry. He said, “There’s only so many notes and very few chords in pop music.”
Ed Sheeran wrote the top hit single with Snow Patrol’s Johnny McDaid and producer Steve Mac. “Shape of You” was a massive hit during its release. In 2021, it became the first song on Spotify to hit three billion streams.