10 Songs That Led To Massive Lawsuits

Penned in 2012 by Ed Sheeran and Snow Patrol band member Johnny McDaid, Photograph was the fifth single from Sheeran's second studio album, x (pronounced Multiply). It became certified triple platinum in the UK and received widespread praise from critics and fans alike globally. Telling a story of long-distance love, Sheeran's vocals were complemented by acoustic guitar, piano and programmed drums. While many cooed over the accompanying video of Sheeran's cut-together home videos showing his prodigious talents being exhibited from a young age, two songwriters were struck by how closely Photograph resembled their own creation. It was the spitting image.

Martin Harrington and Thomas Leonard were behind the 2011 Matt Cardle single Amazing and later spoke of how flabbergasted they were by the blatant likeness of Sheeran's 2015 release.

They sued Sheeran for damages worth more than $20 million in 2016 with the dispute eventually being settled out of court a year later. Sheeran made no admission of guilt but it's believed that he forked out a considerable chunk to the pair. They said that Sheeran and McDaid had “copied and exploited, without authorisation or credit … on a breathtaking scale”.

This isn't the only time that Sheeran has been accused of ripping off the work of another musician. Structured Asset Sales, the company that owns the rights to Marvin Gaye classic Let's Get It On, sued Sheeran for the way in which his 2014 single Thinking Out Loud allegedly copies “the melody, rhythms, harmonies, drums, bassline, backing chorus, tempo, syncopation and looping” of the Gaye song.

Sheeran has segued into Let's Get It On from Thinking Out Loud in concert before, which doesn't really help his case. It hasn't yet been resolved but SAS want $100 million.