Written By Oliver Sullivan Lawyer Monthly This year saw the end of a protracted legal battle between singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran and the estate of Ed Townsend, co-writer of Martin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On, which had accused Sheeran of infringing its copyright by plagiarising the 1973 hit’s “harmonic progressions, melodic and rhythmic elements”. A jury found in favour of Sheeran in May, and an appeal by the estate was withdrawn in mid-September. The case is far from unique – it is even Sheeran’s second such copyright battle within two years. The music industry has seen many lawsuits waged over intellectual property, often making headlines by virtue of celebrity involvement and the far-reaching implications for copyright law they carry. In this feature, we take a look at some of the most high-profile of these cases and the impact they have had on the worlds of music and IP law. THE MUSIC INDUSTRY’S BIGGEST COPYRIGHT BATTLES
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