There were allegations that the award-winning song infringed on Marvin Gaye classic "Let's Get It On" copyrights.
Ed Sheeran has won a copyright infringement lawsuit involving his Grammy-winning song "Thinking Out Loud".
There were allegations that the award-winning song infringed on Marvin Gaye classic "Let's Get It On" copyrights.
A Manhattan jury on Wednesday found the musician did not engage in willful copyright infringement following a trial that saw Sheeran playing guitar and singing in court.
The jury reached its decision after roughly three hours of deliberations, ABC News reports.
The musician hugged his attorneys when the verdict was read.
Sheeran had been accused of copying the sheet music for "Let's Get It On" by the family of the song's late co-writer, Ed Townsend.
During opening arguments in Manhattan federal court, renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the plaintiffs, said the case is about "giving credit where credit is due."
The lawsuit claims that Sheeran took the rhythm, chord progression and other elements for his 2014 song "Thinking Out Loud" without permission from the 1973 soul classic "Let's Get It On."
According to Crump, the song has become a "cornerstone" in the American experience.
Crump accused Sheeran of infringing on the song's copyright for the tune that won him his first Grammy.
The defence team, meanwhile, argued that Sheeran and co-writer Amy Wadge "independently created" the song "Thinking Out Loud" and that it "was born from an emotional conversation."
Sheeran's attorney, Ilene Farkas, said, "It was their original creation."
Sheeran took the stand throughout the trial, at times singing and playing guitar during his testimony.
At one point, the musician performed a mash-up on guitar of his songs and Marvin Gaye's as he tried to demonstrate how common the four-chord progression was for his hit "Thinking Out Loud."