LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) — British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has agreed to settle a $20m copyright infringement lawsuit filed against him over his hit song Photograph.
Songwriters Thomas Leonard and Martin Harrington filed the lawsuit against Sheeran last June, claiming that Sheeran's hit was very similar in structure to their own song Amazing.
In their suit, the two songwriters contended that Sheeran's song shared 39 identical notes with their own work and was "instantly recognizable to the ordinary observer". Leonard and Harrington's track was recorded by former X Factor winner Matt Cardle in 2012.
The terms of the settlement were not disclosed and Richard Busch, the attorney for the plaintiffs declined to comment to the BBC on the matter. Sheeran's label, Atlantic Records, also declined to comment on the case.
You might recognize the name Richard Busch. He represented the estate of the late soul singer Marvin Gaye when it sued Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams for copyright infringement over their hit Blurred Lines. – Staff Writers
