Ed Sheeran shares statement after winning "Shape of You" copyright trial

Earlier today (6 April), Mr. Justice Zacaroli ruled that Sheeran had not plagiarised part of a song titled "Oh Why" by Sami Switch, real name Sami Chokri.

As BBC reports, legal proceedings started back in 2018, but an 11-day trial took place in London last month. Sami Switch claimed the "Oh I" hook in Sheeran's "Shape of You" hit was similar to his own "Oh Why" song, but as Sky News reports, the judge ruled today that Sheeran "neither deliberately nor subconsciously" copied Sami Switch's 2015 song.

Following the ruling, Sheeran has shared a video message about the case, as well as a joint statement with co-writers Johnny McDaid (Snow Patrol) and Steve Mac.

In the video message, Sheeran said they're "obviously happy with the result," but added that "claims like this are way too common now." He continued, "It's really damaging to the songwriting industry. There's only so many notes and very few chords used in pop music."

"Coincidence is bound to happen if 60,000 songs are being released every day on Spotify," Sheeran said in his video message. "That's 22 million songs a year and there's only 12 notes that are available."

As well as highlighting that he's not a "corporation" and is a "human being," Sheeran said, "Lawsuits are not a pleasant experience and I hope with this ruling, it means in the future baseless claims like this can be avoided. This really does have to end."

In the joint statement, Sheeran, McDaid and Mac wrote, "There was a lot of talk throughout this case about cost. But there is more than just a financial cost. There is a cost on creativity. When we are tangled up in law suits, we are not making music or playing shows. There is a cost on our mental health. The stress this causes on all sides is immense. It affects so many aspects of our everyday lives and the lives of our families and friends. We are not corporations. We are not entities. We are human beings. We are songwriters. We do not want to diminish the hurt and pain anyone has suffered through this, and at the same time, we feel it is important to acknowledge that we too have had our own hurts and life struggles throughout the course of this process."

Later in the statement, they wrote, "We are grateful that Mr. Justice Zacaroli has delivered a clear and considered judgment which supports the position we have argued from the outset. "Shape of You" is original. We did not copy the Defendants’ song. We respect the music of those who’ve come before us and have inspired us along the way, whoever they are. We have always sought to clear or to acknowledge our influences and collaborators. It doesn’t matter how successful something appears to be, we still respect it."

They concluded their statement by adding, "While this has been one of the most difficult things we have ever been through in our professional lives, we will continue to stand up against baseless claims, and protect our rights and the integrity of our musical creativity, so we that can continue to make music, always. Our message to songwriters everywhere is: Please support each other. Be kind to one another. Let’s continue to cultivate a spirit of community and creativity."