Sheeran sued for allegedly ripping off Gaye hit

According to legal documents lodged in New York, the British star’s 2014 hit Thinking Out Loud rips off the “melody, rhythms, harmonies, drums, bass line, backing chorus, tempo, syncopation and looping” of Gaye’s song.

The claim has been made by Structured Asset Sales (SAS), which owns part of the copyright of Gaye’s hit.

Gaye, who was shot dead by his father in 1984 at age 44, co-wrote the track alongside Edward Townsend in 1973.

Townsend died in 2003 but SAS bought one-third of the copyright.

Sheeran, 27, has already faced legal action over the track after the heirs of Townsend also said Thinking Out Loud copied Let’s Get It On. He has denied those allegations.

The album X, which features Sheeran’s song, sold more than 15 million copies and was also nominated for a Grammy in 2015.

Other defendants listed in the claim include Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the Atlantic record label and Amy Padge, Sheeran’s co-writer on the song.