Ed Sheeran wins High Court battle as judge rules he did not steal part of song

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Ed Sheeran has won the High Court battle over his song Shape of You.

The singer and his Shape of You co-writers including Snow Patrol's John McDaid and producer Steven McCutcheon were accused of ripping off a 2015 song titled Oh Why by Sami Chokri and Ross O'Donoghue.

In a ruling on Wednesday, Mr Justice Zacaroli concluded that Sheeran "neither deliberately nor subconsciously" copied a phrase from the track when writing his hit single.

Mr Chokri, a grime artist who is best known under the name Sami Switch, claimed an "Oh I" aspect of Sheeran's song is "strikingly similar" to an "Oh Why" part of his song.

Speaking at the ruling on April 6, the judge said: "While there are similarities between the OW (Oh Why) Hook and the OI (Oh I) Phrase, there are also significant differences.

"I am satisfied that Mr Sheeran did not subconsciously copy Oh Why in creating Shape."

In a joint statement, Sheeran, McDaid and McCutcheon said there was "more than a financial cost" with the lawsuit, adding that there was a "cost on creativity".

They said: "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."

They stated that there was a need for songwriters to be creative and free to express themselves, but added there should be "due process for legitimate and warranted" copyright protection.

They added: "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."

Wrapping up their statement they explained that it was "painful" to hear somebody "publicly, and aggressively challenge your integrity".

They encouraged songwriters everywhere to "support each other" and be kind while making a spirit of community and creativity.

The legal proceedings have been ongoing to 2018 and came to a close on April 6, 2022, following the ruling.

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