Ed Sheeran Buckles Up for Copyright Showdown
On Monday, March 7, the pop‑splasher took the High Court stand in London to defend his 2017 smash “Shape of You” against claims of “borrowing” tunes from other artists.
The Allegations
Musicians Sami Chokri (known as Sami Switch) and Ross O’Donoghue argue that certain lines from their 2015 track Oh Why were lifted into Ed’s hit. A barrister for the duo, Andrew Sutcliffe QC, said the artist “borrows ideas and throws them into his songs, sometimes he will acknowledge it but sometimes he won’t.”
Ed’s Reply
With his lawyer Ian Mill QC on the record, Ed flat‑out denied the claims. “No. The examples he’s been using are obviously famous artists, two of them are people I’ve made songs with,” he said. He also highlighted that he has “cleared” snippets from lesser‑known tracks, such as a Buffy the Vampire Slayer sample from an “unknown composer.”
Key Points from the Court
- Ed reports never having met Sami before writing “Shape of You.”
- The musicians claim the duo appeared in videos on Jamal Edwards’ SBTV and were mentioned on his Twitter feed.
- Ed argued that while Jamal championed many artists, “he didn’t watch every single video he uploaded.” He cited that following Jamal on Twitter doesn’t mean he read all his tweets.
What Happens Next?
The trial is slated to last roughly three weeks. While the case drags on, fans can only speculate: will it be a showdown between the pop‑fitness mainstream and a grime chant, or will it boil down to an epic battle of legal jargon? Either way, the world’s ears are tuned in, and the upside side of the story might just hinge on whether the lawsuit opens the door to more collaborative ventures—or adds a whole new chapter of acrimony to Ed’s narrative tapestry.
