Ed Sheeran Found Not Liable in Marvin Gaye Rip-Off Trial

The jury has spoken in Ed Sheeran‘s copyright trial — he’s been found not liable for ripping off one of Marvin Gaye‘s classics, “Let’s Get It On.”

The singer received the verdict on Thursday in a Manhattan federal court after a jury made the decision.

As we reported, the estate of Ed Townsend, co-writer of “Let’s Get it On,” slapped the lawsuit on Sheeran … alleging the 2014 hit “Thinking Out Loud” ripped key elements of the 1973 Marvin Gaye classic — claiming several aspects like the melody and even harmony were a match.

Sheeran was present in court for the legal battle, and even testified during the trial … part of it in the form of a song! He pulled out his guitar and played the tune in question during his time on the stand as a way to show them his creative process.

He testified Marvin’s song was nowhere near his or his co-writer Amy Wadge‘s minds when they brought his track to life … claiming he doesn’t really put a ton of time into crafting his tracks and just pulls inspiration from whatever’s going down in his life at the time.

It was a move that some thought could go a long way — having a star play for the super small crowd for sure had the potential to sway the jury. He also testified he’d be “quite an idiot to stand on a stage in front of 20,000 people” after ripping off a classic.