This verdict is music to Ed Sheeran‘s ears.
A federal jury in New York found on May 4 that the singer is not liable in a copyright infringement lawsuit that alleged his song “Thinking Out Loud” had “striking similarities” and “overt common elements” to Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On,” according to NBC News.
After the ruling, Sheeran reflected on his legal victory.
“I am obviously very happy with the outcome of the case, and it looks like I’m not going to have to retire from my day job after all,” he said, referencing his previous comment that he would quit playing music if he lost, in a statement obtained by the news outlet. “But, at the same time, I am unbelievably frustrated that baseless claims like this are allowed to go to court at all.”
The four-time Grammy winner released “Thinking Out Loud” in 2014. According to NBC News, the heirs of Ed Townsend—the musician who wrote the 1973 hit “Let’s Get It On” with Gaye—filed the lawsuit against Sheeran in 2017 and accused him of violating the Copyright Act.